The government plans to bestow the People's Honor Award on Shingo Kunieda, who won four Paralympic gold medals in men's wheelchair tennis. He would be the first para-athlete to receive the award since its establishment in 1977.
The award would be in recognition of Kunieda, 38, achieving the lifetime Golden Slam by winning titles at all four major tennis tournaments and the Paralympic gold, as well as his long career as Japan's leading figure in para-sports.
On Friday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed the relevant ministries and agencies to consider giving Kunieda the award. The government will formalize the decision after hearing the opinions of experts.