Today, Chubu Sports Journalist Association announced that Ito-san received Chubu Sports Achievement Award (中部スポーツ賞 - Chubu Sports Journalists' Athlete of the Year (*)).

This award is one of the longest-running award for sports atheletes in Japan.

And Ito-san is the first Paralympic Athlete to receive this award.

By receiving this award, we hope that more people will recognize the sports for the disabled in Japan.

Ito-san commented in his blog.

Today, the history will change a little. I am honored to be the first one to receive this award as an athlete for the disabled.

I feel that more people start recognizing this sports in Japan.

By using this opportunity, I would like to promote the sports as much as possible.

Also thanks to everybody who has been supporting me.

And I will keep trying my best so that I can keep being a role model for everyone.

*NOTE: There is no official English title of this award.