On July 2, the Japanese Paralympic Committee (JPC) announced the Japanese team for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and alumni Koyo Iwabuchi (affiliated with Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., graduated from Waseda University’s School of Education in 2017) was chosen to be the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.
Iwabuchi competed at his first Paralympics in Rio in 2016, but was defeated in the preliminary round. After graduating from Waseda University, he became affiliated with Kyowa Kirin, which has its own table tennis team, and increased his abilities by practicing with high-level players. In 2018, he competed in the World Para Table Tennis Championships, winning the bronze medal. As of July last year, he is ranked third in the world, and has appropriately been selected as a representative in para table tennis, men’s class 9. Iwabuchi has said that he “wants to challenge himself and set a target of ‘more than a gold medal’.” He is expected to win a medal.
Koyo Iwabuchi, playing men’s para table tennis in the Japan League; April, Kumamoto City (Kyodo News)
