At the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games on November 19, Shizuka Hangai secured a gold medal by overcoming Mongolia’s Suvd-erdene Togtokhbayar in the women’s 52kg J1 blind judo final at the Aichi Prefectural Budokan, masports.jp reported.

Pursuing Beautiful Judo Through a Class Change

The path to the top of the podium demanded a comeback against an early deficit. Just 58 seconds into the gold-medal bout, Hangai conceded a score after her opponent executed a shoulder throw, alongside a shido penalty that created a difficult opening phase. At 2 minutes and 34 seconds, however, she executed her signature seoi-nage (one-arm shoulder throw) to earn a waza-ari, seizing a lead she defended through late pressure from a tomoe-nage attack.

The victory marks a breakthrough after previous silver finishes in the women’s 48kg J1 category at both the Hangzhou Asian Para Games and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Moving up a weight division brought the result she sought. “I am extremely happy,” Hangai said. She noted that her long-standing pursuit of what she calls “beautiful judo” had been vindicated. “I felt that the judo I have been doing was not wasted. This is a gold medal that proves my judo,” she said with a smile.

Dual Gold Openers Across Venues

Hangai shared the distinction of securing Japan’s gold medal No. 1 with cyclist Shota Kawamoto. At almost the exact same time at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka Prefecture, Kawamoto won the gold medal in the men’s C1–C2 3000m individual pursuit final, giving the delegation twin opening triumphs.

Tetsuya Sakurai Claims Bronze on Debut

In the men’s 70kg J2 category, Tetsuya Sakurai captured a bronze medal in his first Asian Para Games appearance. Advancing through a demanding tournament featuring world championship contenders, Sakurai reached the third-place match and secured victory via ippon using his preferred ne-waza technique, an ude-hishigi-juji-gatame (armbar).

Sakurai took up blind judo in 2023 after being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa during his working years, following earlier experience with judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Reflecting on the challenge of competing in a division that includes Paralympic gold medalist Yujiro Seto, Sakurai expressed his ambition to target the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. “I expected it to be a harsh tournament, so I am glad to win a medal,” Sakurai said. “The crowd’s cheers reached me, and the moment I threw my opponent felt very good. This is a good step toward LA.”

Podium Finishes for Seto and Fujiwara

Yujiro Seto bounced back from a semifinal defeat against an opponent from Uzbekistan to claim bronze in the men’s 70kg J2 division.

In the women’s 52kg J2 bronze medal contest, Yui Fujiwara faced fellow Japanese competitor Ako Ishii in a bout that extended into extra time. Fujiwara prevailed in the hard-fought match to claim the final spot on the podium.