Chairman of the Special Olympics visits the governor

On Tuesday, December 6, Governor Koike met with Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

An international sports organization, the Special Olympics provides sports training opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities, as well as holds competitions where participants can demonstrate what they acquired through training. The World Games are held every four years, starting with the first Summer Special Olympics that took place in 1968.

During the meeting, Governor Koike expressed her gratitude for what the Special Olympics had achieved: giving hope to many people and realizing an inclusive society that embraces everyone, with or without disabilities. She noted, "The Special Olympics draws out the potential of each of the athletes rather than emphasizing competition for medals. It is very meaningful in a different way from the Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Chairman Shriver voiced his appreciation for the support of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, including allowing the use of special needs schools as places for training, and asked for continued assistance. Expressing his hope that Tokyo would realize an inclusive society and thus make the Special Olympics more widely known and that Tokyo would become a role model in this field, he said he hoped to create, together with Tokyo, a world where none of the athletes suffer from discrimination or isolation.

Chairperson Yoshiko Mitsui and Board Chair Yuko Arimori of the Special Olympics Nippon (Japan) also attended the meeting.