Mima Ito (21) = Starts =, who is ranked 5th in the world for table tennis women, announced on the 26th that she will participate in the T-League. She hasn’t seen her for the past four seasons, but has signed a contract with Nissay Red Elf, who has won four consecutive titles. She won mixed doubles gold, women’s team silver and women’s singles bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. Her goal for the Paris Olympics two years later was set to a singles gold medal, deciding her new challenge. The fifth season of the T-League will start on September 10.
Ito made a big decision. Two years before the opening of the Paris Olympics, he met online and announced his first participation in the T-League. “I wanted to participate in the T-League because I set the goal of participating in the Paris Olympics and winning the championship. My goal is to win all the games I play. I will become a player who can win both overseas and domestically.” Said his aspirations.
Ito has not participated in the T-League as the only top Japanese player in the last four seasons. In October 2018, before the start of the first year, after pondering, he announced his intention, “I decided to devote myself to strengthening the limited time in order to realize the dream from elementary school students,’Gold medal at the Olympics’.” Judging that it is the best way to secure practice time and aim at the international competition to overthrow and realize China, gold (mixed doubles), silver (women’s team), bronze at the Tokyo Olympics It was connected to the (Women’s Singles) medal.
On the other hand, it was announced that the representative selection, which emphasized the world ranking, will be decided by the Japan Association’s own domestic selection points for the 2012 Paris Olympics.Based on that situation, Nippon Life’s team fought together at the 2016 Rio Olympics.Murakami KyoukazuI received an offer directly from the general director and said, “I’ve been able to convey my enthusiasm.” After the Tokyo Olympics, he faced the goal setting for the Paris Olympics, which was not decided immediately, and decided to be a “single gold medal”. He decided that the best way to do that was a new challenge.
The selection of table tennis representatives began this month, and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced the criteria for qualifying for singles with an emphasis on world ranking. The Japan Association, which is aiming for independent selection, is in the stage of contacting ITTF and waiting for a formal response, but Ito has no hesitation. “I don’t know what will happen yet, so I’d like to make sure that either one is okay. I’ll continue to do my best so that I can take the first place by far both in Japan and overseas.” He has a number of 99. Towards a dream two years from now. And with expectations for the Japanese table tennis world and league revitalization, Ito will be on the stage of the T-League. (Naofumi Hayashi)
◆ Next season of major Japanese athletes aiming for the Paris Olympics Nippon LifeIto Mima(5th in the world),Hina Hayata(6th place) participates in the war.KanagawaKasumi Ishikawa(9 digits),Hirano Miu(18 bits),Kihara MiyuIt has (13th), Miyu Nagasaki (48th), and Miwa Harimoto (66th).Nippon PaintHitomi Sato(62 bits),Saki Shibata(55 digits),Hashimoto Honoka(129th place).KyushuMiyu Kato(67th), Haruna Ojio (51st) and others will participate in Top Nagoya.
