PARIS (Kyodo) — Japan won its first men’s goalball gold medal with a 4-3 defeat of Ukraine in an electrifying overtime battle at the Paralympics in Paris on Thursday.
The gold is Japan’s second in the sport for athletes with vision impairments, adding to one won by the women’s team at the 2012 Paralympics in London.
“It almost didn’t feel real until I felt this weight,” Japan’s talismanic player Koji Miyajiki said while holding his new gold medal.
Japan got off to a strong start with Kazuya Kaneko and Miyajiki netting goals in quick succession, but a point by Ukraine’s Anton Strelchyk followed by a successful penalty shot by Vasyl Oliinyk after a throwing violation by Miyajiki equalized the score by the end of first half.
A score by Yuto Sano put Japan back in the lead in the second half, but a late second goal by Strelchyk created a tense last few minutes with the score at 3-3 and both teams focusing on their defense which had been solid throughout the game.
A final regular-time goal attempt by Oliinyk was blocked by Miyajiki, sending the game into overtime.
It was Japan’s Sano who came through with the winner to give Japan its first men’s medal in the sport, allowing the previously diligently silent crowd to explode with cheers.
“I had confidence that we could win, although in my heart I felt it would be Sano that would seal the deal,” Miyajiki said in praise of his teammate.
“I didn’t hear the final whistle blow, but from the cheers in the venue I realized I’d done it,” Sano said, “My body just reacted on its own,” he said, after he had leaped into the air to celebrate.
Goalball, one of two Paralympic sports with no Olympic equivalent, requires players to rely on their senses of touch and hearing to locate the ball as it is hurled between the teams.
The crowd is asked to remain silent while the ball is in play but is encouraged to make as much noise as possible when a team nets a goal.
Japan’s men’s team made its Paralympic debut in Tokyo, but ended those games ranked fifth. They became unlikely giant killers during the Paris Games, toppling the highly-rated United States in the quarterfinals and Tokyo Paralympics silver medalists China in the semifinals.
“I think there’s still room to get more excited about goalball,” Sano said. “I started doing this sport because I simply thought it was cool…From the way you throw the ball to defending, I just want people to know how cool it is and to win new fans.”
Paralympics: Japan top Ukraine in OT to win 1st men’s goalball gold
