TOKYO - Japanese wheelchair badminton star Sarina Satomi is out to reaffirm her supremacy at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games as she continues her pursuit of a third straight Paralympic title in Los Angeles in 2028.
The 28-year-old, who won women's singles WH1 gold at both the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics, wants to "win overwhelmingly" and leave no doubt about her status as the world's best in the category, where players require wheelchairs to play due usually to impairment in both lower limbs and trunk function.
Since returning from the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Satomi has maintained an intense training schedule, opting not to take the three-to-four months break she took after the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Believing she must be evolving "at any moment," Satomi has remained unbeaten in international competition while further refining her game.
Known for precise shots that move opponents around the court, Satomi has also improved the speed and maneuverability of her wheelchair. National team head coach Sotaro Zama says she has become increasingly professional in her approach to the sport.
A decade after suffering a spinal cord injury in a traffic accident in 2016, Satomi is relishing the chance to compete before packed crowds, something she was denied at the spectator-restricted Tokyo Paralympics during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
"I'm the type of athlete who gains strength from being watched," Satomi said. "I want to keep winning."
