NAGOYA - Local judoka Atsumi Nishimura expressed regret after settling for silver in the women's J1 70-kilogram event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Paris Paralympic champion Junko Hirose secured bronze in the women's J2 60-kg category despite being injured.
In Para judo, J1 is the category for athletes who are blind or almost blind, while J2 is for those with visual impairment. During bouts, J1 judokas are escorted by the referee to the center of the mat at the start of the contest and whenever necessary.
"Rather than silver, I wanted gold. I wanted to hear everyone say, 'Congratulations,'" Nishimura said after falling to Turuunaa Lkhaijav of Mongolia by ippon in Nagoya, her hometown and current place of residence.
"I was very happy to hear that the Asian Para Games would be held in my hometown, and I wanted to help boost Nagoya because I love the city," the 35-year-old said.
In a bronze-medal match, Hirose beat Aitsaraphon Khwaengmueang of Thailand but admitted disappointment after falling short of her goal of winning gold.
Hirose, who became visually impaired due to collagen disease, found a path in Para judo and rose to become one of Japan's leading figures in the sport.
The 36-year-old made history by winning bronze at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, becoming the first Japanese woman to earn a Paralympic judo medal.
Hirose also acknowledged that she was not at her best at the Asian Para Games due to a knee injury and a broken nose.
But the judoka has already shifted her focus to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, saying, "I'll put the Paris gold behind me and start from scratch, preparing for my rivals again."
In table tennis, Mahiro Funayama won the men's singles class 10 gold medal after beating Lin Chun-ting of Taiwan 15-13, 11-6, 13-11 in the final.
Funayama, who suffered childhood osteosarcoma and has limited use of his right arm, made the Paris Paralympics quarterfinals in the category for athletes with a minimal impairment, including a stiff ankle or wrist of the playing arm, or being of short stature.
The 22-year-old's career was put in doubt after he was diagnosed with kidney cancer February -- when he was ranked first in the world rankings -- and he subsequently had his left kidney removed.
Funayama kept watching footage of his rivals while being hospitalized, however, and made his return in late March, around a month later.
Despite ongoing chemotherapy and increased fatigue following the kidney removal, he overcame his latest adversity to win gold on home soil.
"I'm really happy to win the first gold medal of my career. And to win that first gold here...is probably not something that will happen again in my life. I feel really fortunate," he said.
