No.25 After the Tokyo Sports Festival 2013

(Inagi Newsletter November 15, 2013 issue)

The "Sports Festival Tokyo 2013," which began with the 68th National Sports Festival General Opening Ceremony on September 28, 2013, concluded with the closing ceremony of the 13th National Disabled Sports Festival on October 14, 2013.
This time, the National Sports Festival and the Disabled Sports Festival were operated together under a single name for the first time. This is also a demand of the times, and I hope it will be widely accepted in the future.
Inagi City held the first general meeting of the National Sports Festival Inagi City Executive Committee in August 2010, and since then, we have organized a permanent committee and various specialized committees to prepare for the event.
The successful completion of the competition in our city is thanks to the many organizations and citizens who participated, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
In Inagi City, a unihoc event was held at the Comprehensive Gymnasium on September 15, 2013, and a soft baseball tournament was scheduled at Inagi Central Park Baseball Field from October 4 to 6, 2013. However, due to heavy rain on the 5th, the afternoon matches were postponed, leading to significant changes in the schedule, and the 7th, which was a reserve day, was used to hold the 7th and 8th place playoff. The players faced difficulties due to the poor conditions, but the citizens who watched felt like they gained a day.
All 32 participating teams usually move to different venues as the tournament progresses, but for Gifu Prefecture, all four days happened to be matches in Inagi City. I thought this was a special connection and made an effort to support them.
This time, the opening ceremony of the National Sports Festival and the closing ceremony of the Disabled Sports Festival showcased particularly wonderful performances. I believe this is the result of Tokyo's all-out efforts, and it felt like a rehearsal for the Tokyo Olympics, transcending the framework of the National Sports Festival.
So, what kind of era will it be in 7 years? The middle school students who are watching the Sports Festival Tokyo 2013 may be selected as Olympic athletes.
Let's connect the East Japan Great Earthquake Reconstruction Support Sports Festival Tokyo 2013 to tomorrow's nation-building and the success of the Tokyo Olympics!