The following is a statement from Shinya Yoshinaga, manager of Kokushikan University, who won the men’s championship for the first time in 16 years at the All Japan Student Judo Tournament (25th, Nippon Budokan). Immediately after the final match, I responded to the surrounding coverage of the press.
Kokushikan University Director Shinya Yoshinaga “It was the earnest wish of all Kokushikan officials”
Manager Yoshinaga in an interview with the winner right after the final
―― What is your current state of mind?
The match has just ended, so I can’t say it well, but right now, I feel like, ‘Ah, I was able to achieve Japan’s No. 1.’ Starting with Tokai University, I have been beaten by various powerhouse universities for a long time. Winning this tournament was the earnest wish of the Kokushikan University judo club, alumni, and everyone involved. Frankly, I’m really happy. The victory is first of all due to the hard work of the students. I said all the hard things to the students, but I think they really did their best. Also, I would like to once again express my gratitude to the high school teachers from all over the country who trusted Kokushikan University and sent players to us.
Bow to the audience after the winner is decided. The momentum of the cheering squad was also overwhelming on this day.
―― How did you build the team this year after the disappointment of last year’s finals?
There will be a replacement in the fall, and every year we will decide on a slogan at that time, and the new captain Takeichi said, “Is this okay?” When I saw that, the first thing I said was, “Isn’t that a really nice word?”, and as I said, I came all the way here on this day, in this place, to clear my frustration. After that, I practiced hard in the winter, which is the season when I can accumulate a lot of practice, and then Golden Week, which is the final season. Most of the schools that remain in the best 8 or above gathered at Kokushikan, and we were able to practice very well in terms of quantity. It was very big that we were able to do well in the end and that there were few injuries despite doing this much. (Isn’t this year a tough year for you as a coach?) For me personally, it was really tough mentally for about a month after losing last year. However, after that loss, I decided to keep trying. I decided to keep challenging other strong universities and keep resisting. I think it was a big trigger.
2023-06-26 15:48:46
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