③[First Round]/ 2020 All Japan Judo Championships・Prediction round-table discussion | eJudo

(Continued from ② “Highlights of the Tournament / Leading Athletes”)

first round

FurutaThen I would like to do it in order from the first round. It is important not only to predict the outcome of the match, but also for the fans to know about the players.

Keita Iwao (Kanto, Keiyo Gas) ― Kenta Adachi (Kinki, Sakuyo High School)

FurutaThe opening match is the best by Keita Iwao and Kenta Adachi. Iwao is 32 years old, and Adachi is 26 years old. Iwao finished 2nd in the Kanto Championships, and Adachi finished 3rd in the Kinki Championships. Mr. Nishimori, please.

Nishimoriyes. Iwao’s first appearance is an impression that can only be described as surprising. I think his first peak was around 2014, when he won the Kodokan Trophy and participated in the Grand Slam Tokyo right after graduating from university. First of all, I would like to express my respect to the fact that I have been active for a long time since then and have advanced to the main round with a wonderful result of 2nd place in the Kanto Championships this time. The power of that payback is still alive and well.

FurutaExactly. I think many fans will be surprised to hear that Iwao will be participating for the first time. Because it is possible enough for a world line that has become a regular and has a “gatekeeper” position. In recent years, they have been winning to the point of regret, but finally appeared at the Nippon Budokan. First of all, the participation itself is very nice, from the fans’ point of view.

NishimoriAdachi, on the other hand, has a strong image of Sakuyo High School, Tokai University, and the slashing captain of the team competition. He’s small, but he’s the type of player who runs the game tenaciously, using his shoulders, shoulders, and groundwork to finish things off. This spring, he changed his affiliation from Japan Ace Support and became a teacher at his alma mater Sakuyo High School. You must have a strong desire to show your juniors a solid back. And this time, there are a lot of Sakuyo High School OBs, right?

FurutaThat’s right. 5 people will participate. When I met him at the National High School Championships in March, Ichimichi Kawano of Sakuyo High School seemed really happy, saying, “There will be five of us.” In addition to Adachi, Taiki Hoshino from Hokushinetsu, Tsubasa Takahashi from Tokyo, Yumehi Yasuda from Kinki, and Tsuneki Iwasaki from Shikoku. It’s not easy to have 5 people from one high school go to All Japan. For example, isn’t it Tokai University Sagami High School?