“Shin Mountain God” Asahi Kuroda, breaking artist ISSIN and others selected for Okayama Sports Award
The winners of the “Okayama Sports Award” will be selected by reporters from TV stations and newspapers in Okayama Prefecture to select athletes and organizations that have been active in the field of sports in 2025.
The individual award winners included Isshin Hishikawa, also known as ISSIN, who won his first championship in the world’s top breaking tournament, and Rin Mente of Sanyo Gakuen, who won the table tennis/inter-high women’s singles tournament.
Asahi Kuroda, a track and field athlete who became a hot topic at the Hakone Ekiden, and Rio Akioka of Kurashiki Commercial, who reached the top in the Inter-High Women’s High Jump. Five people were selected, including Kyoka Okamura, who won the All Japan Tennis Championships and women’s singles.
In addition to the Kyoyama Junior High School girls’ track and field team, which won the national junior high school relay race for the third time in a row, the group awards went to three teams: Ibara High School’s rhythmic gymnastics club and Pacific Rim University girls’ judo club.
The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Mizumo Oike, who was active in the bicycle BMX freestyle park and retired from the front lines in 2025, and Keishi Liang, who supported Fagiano Okayama for many years as a player and coach.
The award ceremony will be held on February 25th.
[List of award winners]
◇Group award
・Judo Pacific Rim Women’s Judo Club won the All-Japan Student Championship and the All-Japan Student Weight Group Championship
・Rhythmic gymnastics Ibara High School Boys Achieved triple high school titles: selection, inter-high school, and national sports
・Track and Field: Kyoyama Junior High School Track and Field Club Women’s Team becomes the third school in history to win three consecutive victories at the National Junior High School Ekiden
◇Individual award
・Track and Field Asahi Kuroda (Aoyama Gakuin University, Okayama City graduate) ran fast in the Hakone Ekiden and broke the Japanese student record in the marathon.
・Isshin Hishikawa, also known as Breaking ISSIN (born in Okayama City), won his first victory at the world’s highest competition “Red Bull BC One” and won a silver medal at the World Championship
・Tennis Kyoka Okamura (Hashimoto Sogyo, from Kurashiki City) First win at the All Japan Championship Women’s Singles
・Table Tennis Player Rin Mente (Sanyo Gakuen High School, Tamano City) Second winner in the history of Okayama Prefecture Inter-High School Girls Singles
・Track and field: Rio Akioka (Kurashiki Commercial High School) Won the Inter-High School Girls’ High Jump even though competition only started in earnest after entering high school.
◇Achievement Award
・Bicycle BMX Freestyle Park Mizumori Oike (resident of Okayama City) As a pioneer among domestic women, she won 7th place at the Tokyo Olympics, and will retire from the front line in 2025.
・Soccer Keishi Liang (from Kurashiki City) Has worked for Fagiano Okayama as a player and coach for a total of 21 years, and will be the coach of J2 Shonan from 2026.
