Deaflympics Basketball Gold: Haneda, Kato & Shino Sisters | 4years

After the women’s final of the 77th All Japan University Basketball Championship (intercollegiate) last December, the All Japan University Basketball Federation awarded the JUBF Special Honor Award to Kyushu Kyoritsu University’s Marina Haneda (2nd year, Kobayashi), Kanto Gakuin University’s Shiki Kato (2nd year, Yokosuka Otsu), and Kato Shino (2nd year, Yokosuka Otsu).

The three were the members of Japan’s women’s basketball team who defeated the United States in the final at the Deaflympics, an all-around sports competition for hearing-impaired people, winning the first gold medal in history. The three have been playing basketball while wearing hearing aids since they started competing, but in 2023 they began working on deaf basketball at the same time.

We conducted a written and verbal interview with the three participants, who happily looked at the plaques they had been awarded and said in unison, “We never expected to receive something like this.”

Victory over the United States in the final: “It was a tough game until the end.”

――Once again, please tell us about the joy of winning the Deaflympics.

Haneda:By winning the gold medal, which was my goal, I am filled with gratitude to the many people who have supported me and cheered me on.

Shiki:I was very happy because I felt like I was able to give back to the many people who have supported me, including my family and friends from high school and university.

Shino:It feels like the hard work of many people involved in Deaf Basketball has been rewarded.

–What was the final match against the United States like? What do you think made the difference between winning and losing?

Haneda:It was a tough game until the end. The reason for our victory was that the entire team believed in the hard work they had put in thus far. Even when it was getting dark, we were able to raise each other’s spirits and the game was played in a good atmosphere.

–How did you feel about your own performance throughout the tournament?

Haneda:I think we defended hard from the first match on defense. I think we made good decisions on offense, aggressively attacking the paint and aiming for shots, and drawing the defense closer to passing.

Shiki:As I played more matches, I got used to the atmosphere of the venue. In particular, in the semi-final match against Ukraine, I made a 3-point shot in a difficult situation where it was difficult to get shots, and it left an impression on me that I was able to create a momentum.

Shino:There were quite a few plays that I wasn’t satisfied with, but I think I was able to contribute to the team with plays that supported the team, such as defense and rebounding.

What’s difficult and interesting about def basketball?

–When did you start preparing for the Deaflympics?

Shino:For the past three years, we have been holding one-night, two-day training camps once every two months, and since one year ago, at least once a month. There was a lot of practice in teamwork.

Haneda:I went to various places such as Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Fukuoka.

Shiki:I had surgery a year ago, so I was conscious of rehabilitation and strength training at home until the Deaflympics.

–You all play both def basketball and regular basketball. What are the difficult parts of def basketball?

Haneda:After all, you can’t communicate if you can’t make eye contact.

Shino and Shiki:It’s the same.

–So, what’s interesting?

Haneda:We look at the situation, make decisions, and make decisions, so it’s really fun when our cooperation goes well.

Shiki:This is when we can devise ways of communicating and communicate through signs and sign language.

Shino:He uses a variety of cues to make decisions, such as the vibrations of the floor and hand gestures, and the facial expressions of the players are very rich.

–To coincide with the award ceremony, I watched the women’s final match between Tokyo Medical and Health University and Hakuoh University. How was it?

Haneda:It was a really high-level match. I learned a lot from watching it, and it made me want to grow even more.

Shiki:A month ago, we also played a match on this court (Ota City General Gymnasium), but this time I looked at it from the outside and realized once again, “We were playing here. We were in a large venue.”

Shino:The speed, power, and skill were all amazing. I decided to work harder on my team (Kanto Gakuin University) as well.

Creating an environment where it is easy for future deaf kids to play sports

–Please tell us about your future goals.

Haneda:I would like to compete in the World Championships in two years and the Deaflympics in Athens in four years and win another medal. We also want to create an environment where it is easy for future deaf kids to play sports.

Shiki:My goal is to achieve good results at the U21 World Championships to be held in Poland next year, and to get more people to know about Deaf Sports and Deaf Basketball.

Shino:My goals are to win gold medals at the U21 World Championships and the Deaflympics, and to popularize deaf sports.