The Consul-General of Japan in Sydney's Newsletter - Past Issues
No. 9 Sports deepen ties between Australia and Japan - February 21, 2020
The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Japan this year from July to September. Australia is a great sporting nation and is planning to send athletes in almost all disciplines in the Games. Beyond the Games, there are many examples of sports exchange between Australia and Japan, including last year’s Rugby World Cup. As I introduce some recent examples of sports exchange that I have seen myself, let us consider the roles that both countries play in the field of sports.
ANZ Stadium, where the Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony took place
It is 20 years since the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in the year 2000. On 23 January 2020, I visited Sydney Olympic Park, where Mr Tony Houhlias (Senior Manager, Sports Development, Sydney Olympic Park Authority) escorted me on a tour. The park is a 40-minute train or bus ride from the Sydney CBD and has multiple sporting and event facilities throughout the precinct. During the Sydney Games, almost 90% of all the events took place here.
In front of Australia Stadium (now called ANZ Stadium), where the opening ceremony took place, I could feel the history of the place among the almost 300 commemorative poles inscribed with the names of the volunteers who supported the Sydney Games.
Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
Visiting the park, I was greatly impressed by how it has been invested in and extensively developed as a sporting hub and event facility since Sydney 2000, for example making the site suitable for all weathers. To make use of the ‘legacy’ of the Sydney Games as a reference point, people involved in the Olympic movement around the world, including Japan, visit the Sydney Olympic Park area to study how this legacy has been implemented.
Currently, every year there are 90 days when more than 30,000 people attend events at the park. There are even days when several events are held at the same time, meaning there are more than 100,000 people visiting the park precinct. Among the sports facilities, the aquatic centre is particularly popular with families bringing children to swim. On the day I visited, there was a queue of children waiting to enter the swimming centre.
The Olympic Cauldron
For Mr Houhlias, who lived in the area during the Sydney Games, the Olympic Cauldron now situated in the centre of the park holds special memories. Also at this location, there are plaques with the names of all Olympic and Paralympic medalists.
The plaque showing the name of the gold medalist in the women’s marathon, Naoko Takahashi
Among the plaques there is one with the familiar name of Japanese athlete Naoko Takahashi, who shone in the Sydney 2000 women’s marathon taking out the gold medal. Ms Takahashi is also planning to participate in an event ahead of Tokyo 2020 that will be held by the Australian Olympic Committee.
With Australian Olympic Committee President Mr John Coates AC [centre]
In the middle of the Boxing Kangaroos are MIRAITOWA and SOMEITY, mascots of Tokyo 2020
On 30 January, I met with Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President, Mr John Coates AC, who kindly shared his knowledge with me. Mr Coates is also Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020. In addition to having many years of experience dating from before the Sydney Games, Mr Coates regularly visits Japan and has built strong ties of trust with Japanese stakeholders. His contribution is a reassuring source of strength for Japan.
Australian training camps in Japan
Mr Peter Gibson, Executive Advisor Tokyo 2020, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), also attended the 30 January meeting, and he explained the AOC’s “Tomodachi 2020” (Friends 2020) scheme, which is creating exchange activities at 500 schools in Japan and Australia ahead of Tokyo 2020. For Tokyo 2020, not only Tokyo but also cities and towns throughout Japan will be welcoming Australian athletes who will be based there at training camps ahead of the Games. Australia-Japan sister cities, Australians working in Japanese schools teaching English on the JET Programme and teachers of Japanese at schools in Australia are cooperating towards “Tomodachi 2020”, and this Consulate is also supporting this initiative.
Meeting with representatives of Paralympics Australia
including Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lynne Anderson
I have also met with the Chief Executive Officers and other officials of both the AOC and Paralympics Australia to exchange views and share information, visiting the AOC on 29 January at their office in the Museum of Contemporary Art building and with Paralympics Australia on 18 February at their office in Sydney Olympic Park.
I realized that the Olympics and Paralympics are creating various exchange opportunities and needs for local people and children from the host locations of the Tokyo 2020 training camps even after the Games.
Japanese Team of Powerchair Football APO Cup 2019
Australia-Japan sporting connections go beyond the Olympics and Paralympics. Last year on 26 October, I was invited to attend and speak at the celebratory luncheon of the Powerchair Football Asia-Pacific-Oceania (APO) Cup, which was held in Sydney.
In Powerchair Football, a foot-guard is attached to the front of the wheelchair and this is used to play football (soccer). Many athletes are unable to walk independently and have relatively severe mobility issues. They manipulate the wheelchair with a joystick using their hand or chin.
The first Powerchair Football World Cup was held in Tokyo in 2007, the second in Paris in 2011, and the third in Florida in 2017. The fourth Powerchair Football World Cup will be held in Sydney in 2021, and the Asia Pacific Oceania division qualifiers were played in October last year at Sydney Olympic Park. Japan, Australia and New Zealand took part in the qualifiers, and Japan finished second behind Australia, with both 1st and 2nd earning the right to play in the 2021 World Cup. I look forward to the Japanese team visiting Sydney again next year.
Japan and Australia in the final of the FootGolf Asia Cup
On 22 November last year, I visited the city of Port Stephens, about a two-hour drive by car from Sydney, to barrack for the Japanese players and present prizes at the Yamaha 2019 FootGolf Asia Cup.
In FootGolf, people play golf by kicking a soccer ball. The first FootGolf World Cup took place in Hungary in 2012, the second in Argentina in 2016, the third in Morocco in 2018, and the 4th will be held this year in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
The GIO OZ Day 10K Wheelchair Road Race
On Australia Day (26 January), the GIO OZ Day 10K Wheelchair Road Race took place in The Rocks, in central Sydney. Held annually on Australia Day, this year was the 31st time the competition has been held, and I could feel the great support for the event and for parasports in the community. Her Excellency Governor Beazley sounded the start of the race.
At the Paralympics, there is no 10k wheelchair road race, but that didn’t prevent the many male, female and senior athletes coming from Japan to compete in this competition, which now has such tradition behind it. For the third year in a row, Japanese athlete Suzuki Tomoki won the men’s open division. Australian athlete Madison de Rozario won the women’s open division for the fourth consecutive year. Australia and Japan showed their deep strength in this area of sport.
NSW Premier Berejiklian at the sports booth during the National Day Reception
On 11 February, the National Day Reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor was held at my official residence, and on that occasion, a sports booth was set up with information about Tokyo 2020 and the 2021 World Master Games KANSAI. Many people came to look at the information including the NSW Premier, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP.
Having had the chance to attend many sporting events and competitions and speak with people involved, I have realized that both Australia and Japan are leading nations in sports and parasports and playing prominent roles in the Asia-Pacific region. Utilizing to the fullest opportunities presented by events such as the upcoming Tokyo 2020 and 2021 World Master Games KANSAI, this office will work to help boost Japan and Australia’s contributions to sports and parasports in the Asia-Pacific and around the world.
Sydney Olympic Park
https://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/
NSW Government Sydney Olympic Park Authority: Olympic Legacy - a success story
https://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/About-Us/Olympic-Legacy
Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games “Games Memories”
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/sport/display/109560-%22games-memories%22-
Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games “The Olympic Cauldron”
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/sport/display/111077-the-olympic-cauldron-
Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
https://tokyo2020.org/en/
Australia Olympic Committee
https://www.olympics.com.au/
Paralympics Australia
https://www.paralympic.org.au/
Japan Powerchair Football Association (in Japanese)
http://www.web-jpfa.jp/
Federation Internationale de Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA)
https://fipfa.org/
Japan Footgolf Association (in Japanese)
https://www.jfga.jp/
Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG)
http://www.fifg.org/
Wheelchair Road Racing GIO OZ DAY 10K
https://wsnsw.org.au/sports/summer-down-under/
https://wsnsw.org.au/gio-summer-down-under-series-results/
World Masters Games 2021 Kansai
https://wmg2021.jp/en/
Reception in Celebration of His Majesty the Emperor's Birthday
https://www.sydney.au.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/about_consul_generals_gallery_20.html#2020NatDay