The Japanese women’s goalball team has been voted the International Paralympic Committee’s Allianz Athlete of the Month for October after claiming their first Asian Para Games title. They beat Paralympic silver medallists China 5-3 in the final.

The team received 39 per cent of the public votes. South Korean table tennis player Kim Hyeon Uk was second with 35 per cent. Mongolian powerlifter Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar (13 per cent) was third.

Uzbekistan’s swimmer Amilova Fotimakhon and US track athlete Daniel Romanchuk were also nominated.

It is the second time that a goalball player or team have been voted the winner in 2018. Turkey’s Sevda Altonuluk won the June poll after being the top scorer at the 2018 IBSA Goalball World Championships in Malmo, Sweden.

Credit: Jakarta Post

The 2018 winners are:

January – Oksana Masters, USA, Nordic skiing
February – Mac Marcoux, CAN, alpine skiing
March (Best Male) – Brian McKeever, CAN, Nordic skiing
March (Best Female) – Ekaterina Rumyantseva, NPA, Nordic skiing
March (Best Team) – Chinese wheelchair curling team
April – Gemma Collis-McCann, GBR, wheelchair fencing
May – Sareh Javanmardi, IRI, shooting
June – Sevda Altunoluk, TUR, goalball
July – Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, IRI, sitting volleyball
August – Greg Polychronidis, GRE, boccia
September – Corne de Koning, NED, rowing
October – Japan women’s goalball team