China Crush Japan for Fourth Straight Gold, Set Sights on LA 2028

China extended their dominance of women’s wheelchair basketball at the Asian Para Games with a crushing 74-25 victory over hosts Japan on Thursday, completing a fourth consecutive gold-medal triumph and immediately turning their attention to Los Angeles 2028.

The final at Aichi International Arena was expected to be a closer contest between the two strongest teams in Asian wheelchair basketball. Instead, China took control almost immediately, racing to a 16-4 first-quarter lead and leaving Japan with little opportunity to recover.

China had already beaten Japan 48-31 in the preliminary round, but their performance in the final was even more emphatic.

The result continued a remarkable rivalry. China and Japan have occupied the top two positions at every edition of the Asian Para Games since 2010. Japan won the inaugural title, but China have claimed all four gold medals since.

Three Ingredients Behind China’s Success

For China coach Chen Qi, who has spent nearly a decade with the national team, the latest victory was another reward for the work that has gone into building a consistently successful side.

“First, individual fundamentals and wheelchair skills. Second, teamwork and communication. Third, perseverance and passion,” said Chen, outlining the three areas that have shaped the team’s development.

Those qualities were evident in the final, where China’s defensive organisation, quick transitions and sharp finishing left Japan struggling to find answers. But Chen is not content with dominating Asia.

Having guided China to bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, he believes his players can challenge for the one title still missing from their collection.

“We hope that as they (the players) improve, we can achieve better results at the Paralympic Games,” he said.

“We definitely want to get close enough to touch that Paralympic gold medal.”

Thailand Complete Bronze Hat-Trick

Earlier, Thailand ensured there would be no change in the bronze-medal position either, defeating Iran 64-33 to finish third for the third consecutive Asian Para Games.

It was a repeat of the bronze-medal encounter at Hangzhou, and Iran briefly threatened to change the outcome after making a competitive start and taking the lead during the opening quarter.

Thailand, however, gradually settled into their rhythm, with their younger players combining effectively with the experienced members of the squad to pull clear.

Captain Natnapa Ponin admitted the early exchanges had tested her team.

“At the beginning, we felt a little pressure, but as the game went on, the younger players and the whole team worked really well together,” she said.

For Ponin, the exhaustion after another demanding campaign was outweighed by the satisfaction of returning home with a medal. “I’m tired, but it’s a moment of happiness for Thailand.”