Daiki Kajiwara: The Rise of a Para-Badminton Legend

Daiki Kajiwara stands as one of the most dominant competitors in international para-badminton, capturing multiple world championships and Paralympic gold medals in the men’s singles WH2 classification. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, Kajiwara’s athletic journey shifted dramatically during his youth following a severe traffic accident at age 13 while heading to baseball practice. The crash resulted in the amputation of his right leg and severe damage to his left leg, leaving him wheelchair-bound. Through the support of family, friends, and his former baseball coach, he transitioned to parabadminton in 2017, using his upper-body strength from baseball to accelerate his mastery of the sport.

Rapid Ascent and International Breakthrough

Kajiwara made his international debut in 2018, quickly ascending through the ranks of the WH2 classification. By 2019, he secured victories in both the singles and men’s doubles at the Denmark Para-Badminton International in Odense. Later that year, he earned bronze medals in both disciplines at the Japan Para-Badminton International. These performances propelled him to world number six in singles and number three in doubles alongside partner Hiroshi Murayama ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, as noted in competitive records.

Paralympic Glory at Tokyo 2020

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games—held in 2021 during the sport’s Paralympic debut—Kajiwara delivered a statement performance. He swept through the preliminary stage and reached the singles WH2 final without dropping a single set in the knockout rounds. In the gold-medal match, he faced South Korea’s Kim Jung-jun, the world number one and a multi-time world champion. Kajiwara defeated Kim 21-18, 21-19, claiming the Paralympic gold medal at just 19 years old. He added a second medal in Tokyo by taking bronze in the WH1-WH2 men’s doubles alongside Hiroshi Murayama.

World Championship Dominance and Asian Titles

Kajiwara continued his streak of major titles at the 2022 World Championships in Tokyo, defeating Kim Jung-jun 21-12, 21-11 to secure his first world singles title in the WH2 division. In 2023, he claimed the gold medal at the fourth Asian Para Games in Hangzhou by overcoming Yu Soo-young 21-15, 21-9. He successfully defended his world title in Pattaya in 2024 with a 21-16, 21-10 victory against Yu, before heading to the Paris Paralympic Games, where he defended his singles WH2 title by defeating Chan Ho Yuen 21-10, 21-10 and earned another doubles bronze with Murayama.

Continued Success in 2025 and Beyond

Maintaining his grip on international competition, Kajiwara won the WH2 singles Asian title in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2025 by beating Kim Jung-jun 21-14, 21-13, alongside a silver medal in the WH1-WH2 doubles with Keita Nishimura.