Meet Shingo Kunieda, wheelchair tennis player
“I worked hard so I could come and win. It was my dream to come here and it's become a reality.” Paralympic Games 2008
Roland Garros ended last week and we have a new Wheelchair Tennis champion! Let me introduce you an amazing player, Shingo Kunieda.
Due to a tumor in his spinal cord from when he was 9, he is paralyzed in the lower half of his body. He started his Wheelchair Tennis career aged 11 and joined the international tour circuit at 17 years old. Eight years later aged 25 he became Japan’s first professional Wheelchair Tennis player and won single’s gold at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games as well double’s gold at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.
Kunieda has won 13 single Grand Slam titles and 13 double since 2006. He was ITF World Champion for four successive years from 2007 to 2010. He ended 2010 by winning both the singles and doubles gold medals at the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China. He was also nominated in 2010 for the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability award.
Roland Garros 2014
After his victory at the French Grand Slam Roland Garros last week, He became world No.1 for single game and world No.2 for double game (playing with the French Wheelchair Tennis player Stéphane Houdet World No.2)
Kunieda uses an Ox Engineering wheelchair. He graduated from Reitaku University Japan and now works for Reitaku University.
About Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair tennis was founded in 1976 when Brad Parks first hit a tennis ball from a wheelchair and realised the potential of this new sport.
Still one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world, wheelchair tennis integrates very easily with the able-bodied game since it can be played on any regular tennis court, with no modifications to the size of the court or the size of rackets or balls. Wheelchair tennis follows the same rules as able-bodied tennis, as endorsed by the ITF, with the only exception being that the wheelchair tennis player is allowed two bounces of the ball. The 'two-bounce rule' is written into the Rules of Tennis.
Wheelchair tennis also has an international tour. The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour originated in 1992 with 11 international tournaments, but has grown in size and popularity with currently over 160 events taking place all over the world. To find out more about the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour, please click here.
To be eligible to compete, a player must have a medically diagnosed permanent mobility related physical disability which must result in a substantial loss of function in one or both lower extremities.
Wheelchair tennis has been part of the Paralympic Games since 1992 and will also feature at London 2012 where there will be a total of six medals up for grabs.
References:
http://www.itftennis.com/media/126768/126768.pdf
http://www.itftennis.com/wheelchair/organisation/about-the-sport.aspx
http://dealforhope.wordpress.com/about-them/role-models/shingo-kunieda/
