Daniel Yoshizawa is decided to grab his likelihood and make a long-lasting impression at Paris 2024 by successful the first-ever medal in males’s sitting volleyball for Brazil, which might be competing for the fifth consecutive time on the Paralympics.
The Brazilian staff narrowly missed reaching the rostrum twice within the final two editions, together with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Video games.
Reflecting on Tokyo 2020, Yoshizawa acknowledges his restricted enjoying time however stays resolute in making a better impression in Paris. “In Tokyo, I didn’t have a lot alternative to play, as I solely entered throughout sport rotations. I managed to assist somewhat, however our staff couldn’t current the nice volleyball we had been enjoying. It was very unhappy as a result of we knew we had the potential to be medallists. We misplaced an awesome alternative,” he admitted.
Now a key participant on the staff, Yoshizawa is dedicated to seizing each likelihood to assist Brazil attain the Paralympic podium. “I hope now in Paris, as a starter, I may help the staff extra. We all know the problem our video games in these Paralympics will carry, however we have now the potential to achieve the Paralympic podium. We is not going to miss the prospect.”
When he was 21, Yoshizawa confronted a profound problem with meningococcal meningitis, which may have ended his sporting desires. As a substitute, it sparked a journey of resilience, resulting in success in sitting volleyball.
Yoshizawa’s path to turning into a prime athlete in sitting volleyball started along with his introduction to the game at SESI-SP. Initially drawn to swimming, he found sitting volleyball after assembly his mentor, Professor Ronaldo Oliveira, the mastermind behind the event of sitting volleyball in Brazil.
“At first, I sought swimming within the metropolis however didn’t discover it. I ended up going to SESI-SP in my metropolis, Suzano, to inquire about swimming, and it was there that I met Professor Ronaldo Oliveira. He spoke to me in regards to the sport, however I used to be decided to be a swimmer,” Yoshizawa chuckled, recalling his preliminary resistance. “After a while, I returned to SESI-SP and began my sitting volleyball profession. In September 2009, I started coaching with the SESI-SP staff, the place I’m nonetheless a component at the moment.”
Regardless of the challenges, Yoshizawa was decided to excel. “At first, coaching was very tough, particularly by way of motion. It took me some time to grasp the intricacies of the game,” he defined. He immersed himself in studying the sport, watching worldwide matches on YouTube and absorbing methods from prime groups like Iran, Bosnia, Egypt, and Germany. “It helped me significantly in my progress,” he said.
Because the staff’s setter, Yoshizawa performs an important position, influencing the staff’s dynamic. “My position permits me to sense every athlete’s second, whether or not good or dangerous,” he defined. This understanding allows him to assist his teammates successfully, fostering motivation and camaraderie. “Everybody on our staff motivates one another from begin to end.”
Advocating for better visibility of Para sports activities is a trigger near Yoshizawa’s coronary heart. “Para sports activities nonetheless wants extra space and visibility. Sadly, we’re solely remembered throughout Paralympic years, and out of doors of that, we have now virtually no media for basic sports activities promotion. You will need to keep in mind that we aren’t solely coaching within the Paralympic 12 months however all through the three years main as much as the Video games,” he asserted.
Yoshizawa believes that broadcasting main competitions all through the Paralympic cycle would elevate the sports activities’ profile and entice new members. “This could acquire us extra media house, and the sports activities would acquire better prominence, thus attracting extra new practitioners who could not even know in regards to the existence of Para sports activities.”
