# Taiyo Imai

Taiyo Imai (今井 大湧, Imai Taiyō, born 11 August 1998) is a Japanese para badminton player. He competed in the men singles SU5 event of the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
He won a bronze medal in the men's singles SU5 at the 2017 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships.

## Achievements
### World Championships

Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2017 | Dongchun Gymnasium, Ulsan, South Korea | Cheah Liek Hou | 14–21, 8–21 | Bronze |
| 2022 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Dheva Anrimusthi | 13–21, 12–21 | Bronze |
| 2024 | Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Pattaya, Thailand | Dheva Anrimusthi | 20–22, 8–21 | Bronze |

### Asian Championships

Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2016 | China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities, Beijing, China | Suryo Nugroho | 13–21, 7–21 | Silver |

### Asian Youth Para Games

Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2017 | Al Wasl Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Dheva Anrimusthi | 12–21, 21–17, 21–17 | Gold |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2017 | Al Wasl Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Kaito Nakamura | Dheva Anrimusthi Arya Sadewa | 16–21, 16–21 | Bronze |

### BWF Para Badminton World Circuit (2 titles, 3 runners-up)

The BWF Para Badminton World Circuit – Grade 2, Level 1, 2 and 3 tournaments has been sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation from 2022.
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2022 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Méril Loquette | 21–18, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2022 | Dubai Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Cheah Liek Hou | 11–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2022 | 4 Nations Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Cheah Liek Hou | 17–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2022 | Dubai Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Noriko Ito | Fredy Setiawan Khalimatus Sadiyah | 11–21, 21–18, 7–21 | Runner-up |
| 2022 | Canada Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Noriko Ito | Daisuke Fujihara Akiko Sugino | 21–16, 21–10 | Winner |

### International Tournaments (4 titles, 7 runners-up)

Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2016 | Irish Para Badminton International | Cheah Liek Hou | 26–24, 9–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2017 | Thailand Para Badminton International | Cheah Liek Hou | 13–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2017 | Peru Para Badminton International | Gen Shogaki | 21–9, 18–21, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2018 | Brazil Para Badminton International | Bartłomiej Mróz | 21–19, 10–21, 8–21 | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Japan Para Badminton International | Bartłomiej Mróz | 21–14, 21–11 | Winner |
| 2018 | Australia Para Badminton International | Suryo Nugroho | 21–14, 20–22, 10–21 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2017 | Peru Para Badminton International | Gen Shogaki | Esteban Isael César Suárez | 21–3, 21–3 | Winner |
| 2017 | Peru Para Badminton International | Gen Shogaki | Ricardo Cavalli Eduardo Oliveira | 21–11, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2017 | Peru Para Badminton International | Gen Shogaki | Hironobu Kawabata Tetsuo Ura | 21–12, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2017 | Peru Para Badminton International | Gen Shogaki | Geraldo da Silva Oliveira Genivaldo Duarte | 21–7, 21–0 | Winner |
| 2017 | USA Para Badminton International | Tetsuo Ura | Cheah Liek Hou Hairol Fozi Saaba | 14–21, 21–23 | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Spanish Para Badminton International | İlker Tuzcu | Kim Gi-yeon Shin Kyung-hwan | 23–25, 21–10, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2018 | Australia Para Badminton International | Hironobu Kawabata | Gen Shogaki Tetsuo Ura | 17–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Australia Para Badminton International | Hironobu Kawabata | Pu Gui-yu Yeh En-chuan | 21–16, 21–9 | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Australia Para Badminton International | Hironobu Kawabata | James Binnie Antony Forster | 21–10, 21–13 | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Australia Para Badminton International | Hironobu Kawabata | Sugil Abbas Suryo Nugroho | 21–18, 21–13 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2018 | Brazil Para Badminton International | Asami Yamada | Toshiaki Suenaga Akiko Sugino | 9–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |