By Gary Anderson

January 31 - Japanese firm Sky Perfect JSAT will broadcast 200 hours of coverage from the Sochi 2014 Paralympics ©Getty Images Satellite television company Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation has announced it will broadcast 200 hours of free-to-air coverage from the Sochi 2014 Paralympics, including 60 hours of live action along with a dedicated channel on Sky PerfecTV On Demand.

Details of the broadcaster's coverage form Sochi were announced at a press conference attended by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board member Yasushi Yamawaki; vice-chairman of the Paralympians Association of Japan, Kuniko Obinata; Paralympic Nordic skier Yoshihiro Nitta and SKY Perfect President and chief executive Shinji Takada.

Musicians, The Gospellers, were also in attendance and performed the theme tune for Sky Perfect JSAT's coverage, Sangatsu no Tsubasa.

"Sochi 2014 will be the first Paralympics after Tokyo 2020 has been awarded, so I would like to show a decent race and also would like everyone to watch our sport as merely a sport instead of a sport for an impairment," said Nitta, who won two Paralympic gold medals at Vancouver 2010 in the men's cross-country one kilometre sprint standing and 10km standing events to add to a bronze from Salt Lake City 2002.

Sky Perfect JSAT's coverage of the Games is part of a deal with Japanese public broadcaster NHK, which has sublicensed a tranch of broadcast rights to Sky Perfect JSAT for Sochi 2014.

Along with the 60 hours of live coverage, the satellite broadcaster's free-to-air channel will provide highlights and pre-recorded programmes as part of its 200 hours of action from the Winter Paralympics.

Yoshihiro Nitta will be looking to add to his Vancouver 2010 gold medals at Sochi 2014 ©Getty Images Yoshihiro Nitta will be looking to add to his Vancouver 2010 gold medals at Sochi 2014 ©Getty Images






"We are very excited that Sky Perfect JSAT will be dedicating an entire channel to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, giving Japanese audiences an opportunity to watch the Games 24 hours a day," said IPC President Sir Philip Craven.

"Ahead of the Games, they are planning a comprehensive marketing campaign which positions the Games as a high performance event and underlines the tremendously hard training regime of Paralympians.

"In the lead-up to Tokyo 2020, it is important to raise the profile of Paralympic sport in Japan.

"Sky Perfect JSAT's coverage of both the Sochi and Rio 2016 Games will go some way to achieving this."

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