NAGOYA - Jordan's Omar Qarada became the first gold medalist of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games on Monday as he won the para powerlifting men's 49-kilogram final, while Japan's Tetsuo Nishizaki finished fifth.
Para powerlifting features athletes with lower-limb disabilities competing to lift maximum weight in the bench press.
Back-to-back Paralympic champion Qarada pressed 176 kilograms on his second attempt to clinch the title in Nagoya, ahead of Vietnam's Le Van Cong in second place and China's Chen Liuxun in third.
"I feel so wonderful about this...but there are more medals to come for me," Qarada said.
"I will celebrate with my family and friends and wife...But my focus now is on Los Angeles 2028 (Paralympic Games). That is my next goal."
Meanwhile, Japan's Nishizaki, who has been recovering from a left shoulder injury, thanked the home crowd for their support after lifting 133 kg.
He said the injury, sustained early this year, had prevented him from fully practicing for around six months. He failed his third and final attempt of 138 kg but said he had fun challenging himself.
Nishizaki said he was "very happy" to hear the cheers, adding that he was "almost in tears" when entering the venue.
The 49-year-old suffered a spinal cord injury in a traffic accident at age 23, after which he began using a wheelchair.
Inspired by Japan's successful bid to host the Tokyo Paralympics, he took up powerlifting in 2013 and made his Paralympic debut at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in the 54-kg category.
"I wasn't in the best condition," he said. "More than my result, I hope those who came to watch powerlifting for the first time enjoyed it and learned more about the sport."
