Close but Not Close Enough: Meiji University Athletes Shine in Tokyo Student Championships, Just Missing the Top Spot
- Four athletes, Captain Takehito Mitsuoka, Naoto Izawa, Hidesato Tokumochi, and Yusuke Kudo, advanced to the finals but unfortunately did not win.
- Mitsuoka, who competed in the men's 66kg class, won steadily with his characteristic solid judo.
- "He is a talented player whom I have faced many times in the past, so I thought it would be a close match.
Four Athletes Advance to Finals but Fall Short at Tokyo Student Championships
Results Summary
Four athletes, Captain Takehito Mitsuoka, Naoto Izawa, Hidesato Tokumochi, and Yusuke Kudo, advanced to the finals but unfortunately did not win. However, a total of 13 players won tickets to the All-Japan Student Weight Class Championship (All Japan).
Weight Class Results
- ▼60kg level: Okubo (lost in the second round), Yamaguchi (lost in the first round)
- ▼66kg level: Mitsuoka (2nd place), Kita and Hirayama (lost in the third round)
- ▼73kg grade: Fujimoto (top 8), Ishizuka and Matsubara (lost in the third round)
- ▼81kg level: Izawa (2nd place), Kasagawa (top 8)
- ▼90kg level: Dezhi (2nd), Kurokawa, Takahashi (top 8), Tanaka (lost in the third round), Katayama (lost in the second round)
- ▼100kg grade: Takeda (best 16), Takemura (lost in the third round), Iwamoto (lost in the first round)
- ▼100㎏Super: Kudo (2nd place), Nakafuji (top 4), Kogi and Sennogen (defeated in the 2nd battle)
Athlete Profiles and Post-Match Comments
Takehito Mitsuoka
Mitsuoka, who competed in the men’s 66kg class, won steadily with his characteristic solid judo. In the semi-finals, his opponent was a player he had lost to in high school. ”I felt I was not very good at it, but after entering university I was confident that I was better than him,” he said.
――How do you feel looking back on the final?
“He is a talented player whom I have faced many times in the past, so I thought it would be a close match. Although I lost, I felt like I was in control of the match, so I have a good feeling going into the All Japan Championships.”
Hidesato Tokumochi
Tokumochi, who moved up a weight class this year, competed in the men’s 90kg class. “I had a lot of worries, but since it’s my last year, I didn’t give up and fought,” he said, as he advanced to the semi-finals.
――Please tell us your future goals.
“The All Japan Championships will be my final year, so I want to make sure I don’t have any regrets. Also, we have members who can aim to win the All Japan Student Weight Class Team Championships, so I want to work hard and aim to win there as well.”
Naoto Izawa and Yusuke Kudo
Izawa, in the 81kg class, won the semi-finals with a pin-down combination from an inner thigh return, and advanced to the finals with overwhelming strength. However, in the finals, the match was close and went into GS. He waited for a good opportunity, but when his opponent let his guard down, he was hit with a Tomoe Nage, resulting in a disappointing defeat.
Kudo, in the over 100kg class, defeated Nakato Makoto (4th year, Law, Meiji University Nakano) in the semi-finals against Meiji University, and advanced to the finals. However, he received three warnings, including two false attacks, and lost by disqualification.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, four players fell just short of victory in this tournament. Nevertheless, 13 players have qualified to compete in the All Japan Championships to be held in October. The team members are continuing to train in preparation for the next tournament.