For about one month from October, NPO Judos hosted the International Judo Coaching Seminar. This year six judoka from six different nations attended and learned Japanese teaching methods based on "human education." (©NPO JUDOs)
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Greetings fellow readers of JAPAN Forward. Time flies and there are only a few weeks left in 2024, the year the Paris Olympics were held. NPO JUDOs, where I serve as president, has just finished holding an international judo coaching seminar. We had invited six committed judoka from six countries. Now we have only a few projects to wind up before the year ends.
This will also be my last column for 2024. So, to wrap up the year, I would like to write about my impressions of the Paris Olympics, which I had the honor of participating in.
This summer's Paris Games were the first Olympics held since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided. All the venues were packed with spectators every day, creating a very lively atmosphere. In my capacity as deputy chef de mission for the Japanese delegation, I visited many competition venues. And repeatedly at each venue, I was moved by the warm and ardent cheers from the crowd. People from all over the world experienced once again the sheer joy of coming together through sports.
The benefits offered by sports include improved health through physical activity, relief of stress and improved mental health. They also offer opportunities to challenge human potential by striving for outstanding performances.
Furthermore, athletic competition has the power to move the hearts of those watching the events as well as the participants themselves. It gives both hope and courage to face tomorrow.
Positive and Negative Aspects of the Paris Olympics
At the Paris Olympics, cooperation and collaboration between the athletes and the Organizing Committee, as well as IOC members, volunteers and Olympic fans from all over the world helped to create excitement for the Games. In a sense, it is fair to say that all these individuals made the Games successful.
On the other hand, there were many times during these Games that made me think about the challenges the Olympics face. These included some events that attracted attention because of gross errors in judging, slander on social media, debate over gender and human rights, consideration for the global environment, participation eligibility during wartime, and the fight against terrorism.
How can the Olympics overcome these challenges and contribute to society?
As someone involved in the Olympics, I would like to ponder what can be done and how I can act to ensure that the Olympics continue to be supported by people around the world and remain an event that entrances the public.
Concerns About a Decline in Sports Opportunities for Children
Looking at Japan itself, I feel there is an urgent need to reassert the value of sports in response to changes in society. One issue is how to transition junior and senior high school club activities to become local activities. Local transition is a national initiative to transfer the management of extracurricular activities that have traditionally been taught by teachers to local sports clubs and organizations.
This policy is necessary to address Japan's declining births and workstyle reform. Nonetheless, I am concerned that if club activities are no longer held at schools, children will have fewer opportunities to be exposed to sports. That would naturally lead to fewer opportunities for them to develop an interest in sports.
I believe that the true value of sports lies in the fact that they allow people to have experiences that simulate life in heightened form. In the world of competition, the outcome is clear ― you either win or you lose. You may do well sometimes, but you will likely fail as well. However, there is always something to be gained from both outcomes. That is the nature of competition.
The Value of Competition
If you win, you feel happy and work hard to improve yourself. And if you come up short, you feel frustrated but you keep working hard, thinking that next time your performance will surely be better. In the process, you can grow personally by competing with your rivals, while cooperating with your peers, mentors and those who support you.
This is the same in life, and I want children to learn these things first-hand through sports. To achieve this goal, I think it is necessary to ensure that there are ample opportunities to play sports.
Consequently, we must strive to communicate the value and appeal of sports to as many people as possible. Our goal must be to increase the number of people who comprehend it.
This is something I believe we must do in the coming year and beyond.
RELATED:
- Kosei Inoue: Gold and Great Lessons of the Paris Games
- Paris Olympics Wrap-Up: Tokyo Reflects on the Athletes' Success
- Kosei Inoue: Team Japan Goes to the Paris Olympic Games
(Read the column in Japanese.)
Learn more about the sport of judo and Kosei Inoue, former Olympic gold medalist and former national men's team judo coach who now serves in key positions for All Japan Judo Federation, on the website of JUDOs, a certified Japanese NPO. And find further columns by and about Kosei Inoue in English on JAPAN Forward and SportsLook.
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