Messages from the Games Ambassadors
- HOME
- Messages from the Games Ambassadors
Messages from the Games Ambassadors
Badminton:Kanako Yonekura
-
【Message】
I would like to welcome all of the participants of the “Asia Junior Sports Exchange Games 2014” to Tokyo and offer you a heartfelt reception.
As I’m sure you are all aware, the Olympic Games will be held here in Tokyo in 2020. This will be the second time the city has hosted them since 1964, and a great many people are taking part in them from their respective standpoints of “participating, watching, and supporting” the games, as well as moving ahead with preparations to ensure that they are a success. I believe that for athletes of the same generation as yourselves, the Olympics are the stage you aspire towards. It serves as a clear goal which you strive towards each and every day. Personally, I feel that they will be a chance to recognize anew the majesty of sports, and so I am looking forward to them.
I have also been eagerly awaiting these exchange games. They offer an extremely significant time in which you can deepen friendships, surmount differences of language and culture, and be stimulated and inspired through sports. Since the competitive abilities of the Asian countries is improving dramatically, especially for badminton, my hope is that this will serve as an excellent exchange for mutual improvement. What is more, it would certainly be an absolute pleasure to see everyone participating here meet again at the Olympics in six years’ time. These games will offer you encouragement in attaining such heights.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of the concerned parties for the effort they have put into hosting these games, and would also like to express my desire to see these games be a success.
【Profile】
Kanako Yonekura won the first place at Asian Games held in Bangkok in 1998. It was the first gold medal in this discipline at Asian Games in 28 years. She was competitive to have won at many international competitions and was one of the Team Japan members at the Sydney Olympics and the Athens Olympics.
Table tennis:Hiroko Fujii
-
【Message】
I would like to welcome all of the athletes and officials taking part in the Asia Junior Sports Exchange Games 2014 to Tokyo and offer you a heartfelt reception.
I have been greatly looking forward to making the acquaintance of all the junior athletes from the various cities who are sure to flourish at the global level in the future.
We have had the pleasure of adding table tennis to the games this time around. My hope is that the athletes representing each of the cities will demonstrate their abilities and go head-to-head with all their might in order to improve their competitive abilities. And once the games are over, I would like to see them deepen their mutual friendships with one another.
During my junior days, the athletes from overseas who I personally interacted with, we bettered ourselves through friendly competition and came to be close friends outside of the sports arena as well. This has proven to be a major asset for me, and such exchanges continue on to this day. It would be my pleasure to see each of the athletes, taking part this time around, broaden their circle of friendship and have this provide sustenance for their future lives.
And nothing would bring me greater joy than to have the participants of these exchange games meet again at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics or Tokyo Olympics. My hope is that the athletes here will use these games as an opportunity to attain even greater heights.
In conclusion, I would like to offer my profound gratitude to the concerned parties for the effort they have put into hosting these games, and for giving me the opportunity to serve as the ambassador to the games. I would also like to express my desire to see these games be a success.
【Profile】
She won Doubles titles 4 times consecutively and came in 2nd in Singles for 3 times at the Japan National Table Tennis Championships. In addition, she won bronze medals at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2008 and 2010. At the World Table Tennis Championships, she placed in the top 8 in 2011 and 2013 in Doubles.
Contact Information
Asia Junior Sports Exchange Games 2014 information desk
TEL: 03-6257-1948 (weekday:10:00 - 18:00）
