![]() Komiya after winning the gold medal at the
2012 Summer Paralympics | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Fukuoka Prefecture, [1] Japan | May 8, 1975
Education | Kyushu Sangyo University [2] |
Height | 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) [2] |
Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) [2] |
Sport | |
Sport | Women's goalball |
Disability class | B1 [3] (formerly B2 [4]) |
Medal record |
Masae Komiya (小宮 正江, Komiya Masae, born 8 May 1975 [4]) is a Japanese goalball player with a congenital visual impairment. She was part of the bronze medal-winning Japanese women's team at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. [2] At the 2012 Summer Paralympics she captained the gold medal-winning Japanese women's team. After the game she stated "The day [we waited for] finally came. I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn't finish singing the ' Kimigayo' national anthem." [5]
Her impairment was caused by retinitis pigmentosa, which destroyed her vision in both eyes when she was in primary school. [1] She began playing in 2001. Her coach, Naoki Eguro, introduced her to the sport. [2]