Mitsubishi Corporation

Press Room

July 1, 2016
Mitsubishi Corporation

Mitsubishi Corporation Welcomes Another Wheelchair Rugby Star To Staff

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is pleased to announce that international wheelchair rugby player and member of Japan’s national team, Daisuke Ikezaki, joins the staff at its Tokyo headquarters effective today. Ikezaki is the second wheelchair rugby star to be employed by MC, following Tomoaki Imai who took up his position at the company on April 1 this year.
 
Ikezaki started playing wheelchair rugby in 2008 and became a member of the Hokkaido Big Dippers, a local team from northern Japan, in 2009. He began representing Japan on the national team as a 3.0 class player in 2010 and has since gone on to secure numerous accolades, including Best Player titles, for his creditable performance at international competitions.
 
Even while engaged in his own endeavors, including wheelchair rugby competitions, the sportsman has also been very supportive of MC’s DREAM AS ONE. project. Launched in October 2010, this project is aimed at helping to raise awareness about and promote para-sports through the delivery of lectures and seminars as well as the hosting of sporting events and a range of other public education activities. Ikezaki’s role will be to assist MC with these activities, including delivering lectures and leading events.
 
As an official sponsor of the Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation for this fiscal year, MC looks forward to continue working with these two stalwart sportsmen to help raise the profile of para-sports.
 
*   Wheelchair rugby is a competitive sport played by athletes with impairments (due to cervical cord injury, limb amputation, cerebral palsy, etc.). In a game, players score points by carrying a spherical ball to the opponent’s goal line while passing or dribbling the ball or holding it on their lap. Allowing players to tackle the opposing players for the purpose of blocking their offensive, wheelchair rugby is the only competitive sport that officially recognizes intentional collision between wheelchairs.
 
** Wheelchair rugby players are classified into seven classes, ranging from 0.5 to 3.5, depending on their functional ability. According the rules of the game, the total value of all the players from the same team on the court cannot exceed eight points. Imai’s 1.0 classification corresponds to the second highest level of disability among the seven classes.
 
Statement from Daisuke Isezaki
 
“I’d like to use this opportunity to deliver a strong message to many people, especially to those with an impairment, that we can all have a bright future with sports. I look forward to your continued support.”
Date of Birth:       January 23, 1978
Hometown:         Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
Main Sport:         Wheelchair Rugby
Competition Record
2009:     Joins Hokkaido Big Dippers
2010:     Officially becomes a member Japan’s national team
              Member of Japan team placing 3rd at the World Championships in Canada (denominated Best Player in the 3.0 class)
2011:     Member of Japan team placing 2nd at Asia Oceania Championship in South Korea (denominated Best Player in the 3.0 class)
2012:     Member of Japan team placing 4th at the London Paralympic Games
2014:     Member of Japan team placing 4th at the World Championships in Denmark
2015:     Member of winning Japan team at the MC-sponsored International Wheelchair Rugby Federation Asia Oceania Championship in Chiba, Japan (winning team qualified for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games; Ikezaki designated Best Player in the 3.0 class)
2016:     Officially designated as team member for the Japan team to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

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Mitsubishi Corporation
Telephone:+81-3-3210-2171 / Facsimile:+81-3-5252-7705
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