Munetaka Murakami, a professional baseball player (second from the left in the front row), takes a commemorative photo at the presentation ceremony of the “Kumamoto Yumezukuri Award”.The left end is Governor Ikuo Kabashima of Kumamoto Prefecture = 28th morning, prefectural office
On the 28th, Kumamoto Prefecture presented the “Kumamoto Dream Making Award” to Munetaka Murakami (21), a professional baseball player from the prefecture who contributed to winning the gold medal as a representative of Japan for the Tokyo Olympics.
Although Murakami is the youngest player in the national team, he started in all games and played an active part in the final against the United States, such as hitting the first home run. At the presentation ceremony, Governor Ikuo Kabashima asked him what he thought of the final, and he recalled, “The Olympics were a strange feeling and I never thought I could hit them.”
Murakami, who won the Central League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in professional baseball this season. “I want to do my best to motivate this award,” he enthused. Governor Kabashima encouraged, “I want children to continue to deliver their dreams and hopes.”
