Introducing Sitting Volleyball! An Official Event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics!

This is an introductory video to women’s sitting volleyball (シッティングバレーボール, Sitting Volleyball).

In sitting volleyball, athletes with disabilities, such as paralysis in their hands and/or legs, play volleyball while sitting on the floor.
Sitting volleyball, which is an authorized event of the IPC (International Paralympic Committee), is an official event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

A Look at Sitting Volleyball!

Source :YouTube screenshot

As seen from 0:06 in the video, Taito City's "Taito Riverside Sports Center," a tournament venue in Taito Ward that aims to promote sitting volleyball, hosted the international tournament "WORLD SUPER 6" in 2019. Japan, sitting at 10th place in the world rankings, managed to place 3rd, taking home the bronze medal.

Yoshihisa Mano, the sitting volleyball women's national team coach in Japan, is shown at 1:00 in the video. In his video he talks about the amazing efforts of the athletes.

Sitting Volleyball- An Introduction to Its History and Rules!

Source :YouTube screenshot

Sitting volleyball is a sport played while, you guessed it, sitting. It was established in the Netherlands, in 1956.
In 1967, an international sitting volleyball match was started by the International Sports Organization for the Disabled (ISOD).

In Japan, the Japan Sitting Volleyball Association was established in 1992, and since then, the numbers of players has only increased.
Currently, there are active sitting volleyball teams in areas such as Chiba and Osaka.

The Charm of Sitting Volleyball

Source :YouTube screenshot

The charm of sitting volleyball is that it's a sport that both those with and without disabilities can enjoy.
The rules and equipment used are similar to that of six-player indoor volleyball, with players battling with serves, volleys, and spikes.

However, the size of courts and the height of nets are different from that of regular volleyball, and the use of kicking is prohibited, so attack and defense are slightly different from that of regular volleyball.

Summary of Sitting Volleyball

Photo：Japan National Stadium

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, you can see many exciting events, such as men’s & women’s sitting volleyball, and other events like wheel chair basketball.

Unfortunately, the Olympics has been postponed to 2021, but that's all the more time to learn about new sports, their top athletes, and highlights. Are you looking forward to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics?

【Official Website】Sitting Volleyball – JPVA Japan Para-Volleyball Association
http://www.jsva.info/contents/spoting_events/sitting.html