Office for Sports Promotion

【profile】
Ryo Kawamura Born February 1989, 2 Belongs to AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd./Avanzare Tsukuba
2014 Incheon Asian Para Games (Korea) Silver medal
2014 IBSA World Championship (Tokyo) 6th place
2015 IBSA Seoul World Games (Korea) 5th place
2015 IBSA Asian Championship (Tokyo) 4th place
Others include 2014 Japan Championship MVP, 2015 Club Team Championship MVP, etc.

As the captain of the Japan national team, I want to be someone who can lead the way through play.

~A shocking encounter with blind soccer~

When Rei Kawamura was 5 years old, he was diagnosed with an eye disease called uveitis, and his eyesight gradually deteriorated.However, due to his active personality, he rarely felt any inconvenience due to his poor eyesight, and pursued his dream of becoming a soccer player, joining a youth soccer team when he was in the first grade of elementary school.The junior high school he attended was a strong soccer school, so he gave up on joining the soccer club.He worked hard as a sprinter in the track and field club.Although he was a member of the track and field club in high school, somewhere in his heart he still had the desire to play soccer again.He went on to university and joined the futsal club.He resumed playing soccer, which was his dream.At that time, he heard that the university he was attending had a blind soccer club and went to see it.There, he was drawn to a certain player who was wearing an eye mask and was blind, dodging other players and scoring goals.That person was Yuichi Tamura of the Japanese national team.

``I went to watch it casually, but I was shocked and moved to see a player who wasn't supposed to be able to see score a goal against a goalkeeper who could see. I wanted to try it too!”

~Passion for blind soccer and determination to continue~

When I first experienced blind soccer, I was confused by the fear of not being able to see and the instructions from unfamiliar voices.For this reason, he initially played futsal and other duties.Meanwhile, Kawamura suddenly left blind soccer.
"Blind soccer is played with an eye mask, so visibility is zero. Therefore, if you play with a half-hearted attitude, the chances of getting injured increase significantly. If you play with such an attitude, you will not get injured. If I do that, I'll definitely regret it. That's what I thought. Before I could do it, I wanted to be determined and take it seriously. However, there was a time when I couldn't maintain that determination... and I thought about quitting blind soccer. .”
After stepping away from the sport, I had more opportunities to interact with blind soccer from a different angle.Meanwhile, I watched the final match between Japan and China at the 2009 Asian Championship held in Japan.I was shocked to see that even the players I respected could not stand up against the powerful China.At the same time, he also had a strong desire to stand on the world stage.

``While watching practices and games, I started to imagine my own style of play, thinking things like, ``This is the kind of play I could make.'' Realizing that his feelings for the future were growing, he decided to return to competition.

~In preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the first goal is to win the match in front of us~

In March 2013, Kawamura was called up to represent Japan for the first time.When he started playing blind soccer, he never thought he would become a member of the Japanese national team.Currently, as the captain, he is the cornerstone of the team that leads the Japanese national team.

``When I was appointed captain, I thought that I was the only one who could lead the current team, so I accepted with determination.I don't have any special leadership skills, but I can lead the team through my play. I had a strong desire to do so.As a result, I became more conscious of my approach to daily life and soccer.”
As the captain of the Japanese national team, he has a strong desire for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“Right now, the entire team is training hard every day with the same goal in order to win the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.The Asian Championships and World Championships are also coming up, so first of all, we need to win the games in front of us. I want to do my best so that Japan can become a top-level team in the world by the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.'' I look forward to seeing Kawamura's future activities.

～Highlights of blind soccer～

``Blind soccer is a game in which not only controlling the ball is of course important, but also ``calling out'' such as guiding the blind players, giving voice information from the coach, and the goalkeeper. During a match, players may have less time to spare and may not be able to hear the instructions, so during practice they need to work out what is best, such as the quality of their voices and the choice of words that are easy to hear.Also, verbal instructions are sometimes used as a tactic. Sometimes it is used. There are various ways of maneuvering, such as when the opponent tells you to come from the right, you intentionally go to the opposite left.Therefore, listen to what instructions the player is moving with your ears rather than your eyes. I want you to enjoy it.

～How Kawamura spends his days off～

Kawamura, who leads the team every day as the captain of the Japanese national team, enjoys watching sports on his days off.He loves not only soccer, but sports in general, and goes to various match venues on his days off.
　``Watching sports live is definitely the most fun. I can feel the lively atmosphere of the venue and the energy of the players up close, so I can't help but get excited about cheering.'' And at home, I love it. I always spend my time playing songs by popular artists.
　"At home, I always play music to help me relax. I especially love ``Mr. Children,'' so I end up playing it more often (lol).

~ Kawamura's pre-game routine work and competitive meals ~

Before matches, Kawamura says he relaxes by watching comedy shows.
``I used to listen to music before games, but I got too excited (lol).　
So lately, I've been trying to relax by watching my favorite comedy show. ” There is also a surprising side.
Kawamura also loves tuna.Kawamura's winning meal is ``Tekkamaki.''However, eating perishable foods is prohibited before the match.That's why they eat tekkamaki as a reward after the game.
“I usually try to eat nutritiously, so I try to eat Tekkamaki as a reward after a match. Tekkamaki is especially delicious after winning a match!” He said with a smile.