The 24 members of Japanese men’s national judo team came to Okinawa Jan. 4th to train for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro scheduled for this summer. The team is holding a five-day training camp in Tomigusuku Shimin Gymnasium until Jan. 9th. The team is also preparing for a road trip to Europe in February.

Among members of the team is heavy weight Ryu Shichinohe who is the captain of the national team. He was born on Okinawa but moved to mainland with his family when still a child. This is the first training camp for him on Okinawa. Accompanying Shichinohe for the camp is Masashi Ebinuma, who won a gold medal in the London Olympics, and Hisayoshi Hirasawa, who beat Shichinohe in the final match of the Grand Slam Judo Tournament in Tokyo last month.

At the welcome ceremony at Naha Airport, Team Captain Shichinohe stated in front of the media that the members would try their best as a team to win a gold medal in each weight class in the Rio Olympics.

• 
• NO DATA