Japan Data
Sport
25/10/2023
In a recent ranking of young Japanese’s favorite sportspeople, Ohtani Shôhei was elected almost unanimously. Who are the other popular athletes?
A survey conducted by the Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF) in June and July 2023 shows that the most popular athlete among Japanese young people aged 12 to 21 is baseball player Ohtani Shôhei (of the Los Angeles Angels) , followed at a good distance by footballers Mitoma Kaoru and Lionel Messi.
The survey carried out among young people on the theme of sport is repeated every two years. This is the third consecutive time that Ohtani has topped the poll, following surveys conducted in 2019 and 2021. His voting percentage (22.3%) is the highest to date.
In March 2023, the 29-year-old athlete largely helped the Japanese national team win the Baseball World Cup for the third time. He then had to sit out of the Angels’ starting lineup starting September 3, 2023 due to right elbow surgery, but his performance thus far has been exceptional. His record is astounding: he became the first player in Major League history to record 10 wins as a pitcher, 40 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. He is also the first Japanese to become the American League home run champion. These exploits largely contributed to his popularity in this investigation.
Japan’s second most popular youth sportsman, footballer Mitoma Kaoru, has attracted attention with his prowess at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and as a player for Brighton’s Premier League team (English championship).
An SSF official highlights one of the major trends in this survey: it is athletes active on the international scene who tend to obtain the best rankings.
Source: Chart created by Nippon.com based on data from the Sasakawa Sports Foundation.
(Headline photo: Ohtani Shôhei hits a base hit against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 9, 2023. Reuters)
sport athlete ranking Baseball
2023-10-25 00:12:49
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