The 1st Disability Football Festival Shizuoka was held in the Shimizu National Training Centre, Shimizu-ku, and other venues across Shizuoka prefecture from 9th to 10th of January.

For the past 16 years, this event called "Shizuoka Cup" was organised by a committee for handicapped players of Shizuoka Football Association for intellectual disability football teams. After launching the JFA Declaration on Grassroots Football, the event clarified 3 categories of powerchair football, amputee football, and blind soccer last year. From this year, it included social football to make the event more inclusive event.

For the category of intellectual disability football, about 280 players including children and adults from 20 teams had exciting matches in each age group. From Fukui prefecture, Fukui FID SC joined in the event. Their current aim as a team is to qualify for the National Athletic Meeting in Fukui.

On the 10th, Yokohama F Marinos Futuro, which is the only team with intellectual disabled players of a J. League club team, was invited to play against a qualified team from Shizuoka at IAI Stadium Nihondaira. The match was very intensive right up to the penalty shoot out after the game finished in a stalemate at 1-1 and Yokohama F Marinos Futuro won in the end.

In the category of powerchair football, 2 teams from Shizuoka and another one from Aichi joined for the matches and other interactive activities. For the amputee football category, the interactive activities were held throughout these 2 days and 180 players enjoyed them. Japan National Team players also joined to play an exciting match being divided into 2 teams from East and West part of Japan. The audience enjoyed watching their intense match. The match was a 1-1 draw and the West Team beat East Team after the penalty shoot out. The MVP was given to the West’s ISHII Ken, who successfully scored during the penalty shoot out.

For blind soccer, interactive activities were lead by Mr. INAGI, teacher of Shizuoka Special Needs School for the Visually Impaired. For the social football category, 3 local teams from Shizuoka joined in "The 3rd Shizuoka mental disability futsal championship."

All the activities of this event were organised by Shizuoka Football Association, and included volunteers from Tokai University Shizuoka Shoyo Junior & Senior High School Women’s Football Club, Shizuoka Municipal Shimizu Ihara Junior High School Football Club, and Shimizu Daiichi Junior High School Football Club. The volunteers also joined in the interactive activities. 

Outline of the event

Name of the event

The 1st Disability Football Festival Shizuoka

Dates

9-10 January, 2016

Venues

Shimizu National Training Centre, IAI Stadium Nihondaira, and football ground of Shizuoka Municipal Shimizu Ihara Junior High School

Organiser

Shizuoka Football Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability

Schedule

Volunteer Participant’s Comment

TAKAGI Yumena (Tokai University Shizuoka Shoyo Senior High School Women’s Football Club Captain)
I am feeling grateful to the many people I met and I am happy to connect with them through football at this event. I want to keep making a lot of good friends through football. For me, football is such a fun sport that leads me to see a lot of good people. This time, I joined in the event as one of the organising members and what I learned was it is not an easy job. At the same time, I also learned that football matches and events are realised only through the support of many people. Like the players who joined in the event, I keep working hard as well as enjoying football.