Our Town Inagi 2016: Munetake Imai

Continuity Becomes the Power to Fight: 77th All Japan Veteran Tennis Championship 2015 (Doubles for 50 Years and Older) Champion

Mr. Imai, a resident of the city and a member of the Inagi City Tennis Federation, won the championship at the All Japan Veteran Tennis Championships organized by the Japan Tennis Association, which took place from September to October last year.
Veteran tennis is one of the categories divided within the association, including juniors, professionals, and corporate teams. It is categorized by age groups every five years for individuals aged 35 to over 75, and tournaments are held. The tournament you participated in is the highest level of competition in the country, with strict entry requirements allowing only 16 teams from across the nation to compete.
This is the fifth time for Mr. Imai to participate, and he reflected on the tournament by saying, "This time, my partner Mr. Sato and I were able to advance vigorously to victory." The secret to winning, he said, is to move the opponent around the court. Tennis is a sport where the one who makes mistakes loses, and he mentioned that he has been honing the skill of moving the opponent around the court to score points.

It is said that the encounter with Mr. Sato, who participated together, was during high school. They reunited at a later tournament, where they were rivals at the time, but at the age of 45, they were invited to play veteran tennis and became partners.
Mr. Imai, who started playing tennis in elementary school, says that he has been able to continue thanks to the support of people around him. He has been practicing recently with someone he met at a previous tournament. He also mentioned that the understanding and support of his family have allowed him to build a tennis career spanning over 40 years.
When asked about future goals, they mentioned, "To continue participating in matches until my 60s, aiming for the top four every year, and to keep going without injuries."
We will continue to support Mr. Imai, who embodies the saying 'Perseverance is power.'