By Duncan Mackay

Japan's performance at London 2012 was their worst in the Paralympics for 40 years ©Getty ImagesA talent identification programme for Tokyo 2020 is to be launched next month by the Japanese Para-Sports Association.


A series of events, starting in Tokyo on August 23, will take place and target youngsters aged between 10 and 25 with limb or visual impairments. 

At each venue, participants will be able to experience both summer and winter Paralympic sports.

Former Olympic hurdler Dai Tamesue and Paralympic swimming medalist Junichi Kawai will give lectures and offer encouragement. 

The new initiative follows Japan's disappointing performance at London 2012 where they won only five gold medals, their worst performance since Heidelberg in 1972.

Japan is hoping a talent identification programme to be launched next month will help discover new medal hopes for Tokyo 2020 ©Getty ImagesJapan is hoping a talent identification programme to be launched next month will help discover new medal hopes for Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

Japan also disappointed at Sochi 2014.

They set a target of ten medals but won only six, three of them gold. 

The total was well below their performance at Vancouver four years earlier where they had won 11 medals. 

Last August it was announced that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology would take over funding of Paralympic athletes from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to bring them into their line with their Olympic counterparts.

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