Japan Women's Race to Tokyo 2020 Singles

[Janard]

Senpai: I'm as good (or bad) as CM! Cha!



Seems like Senpai will make it to the SF of the National Champs next year pretty easily.

1/4: Hina Hayata, Sato Hitomi, Sakura Mori, Satsuki Odo...
2/4: Ito Mima, Nagasaki Miyu, Kato Miyu , Saki Shibata...
3/4: Miu Hirano, Hashimoto Honoka, Kihara Miyu...
4/4: Kasumi Ishikawa, Haruna Ojio, Anka Dezawa...

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

DIMA v MIMA !!

Dima gives up after 3 minutes !

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ding-olympics/

[MaLin2.0]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ding-olympics/

Id be concerned to if was held in my city too. Think will still go ahead or will public pressure be too much?

[zeio]

And with the scaled-down Olympics, the original team of 7 for the opening and closing ceremonies has been disbanded and replaced. They were invited onboard in July, 2018.

https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/olympic/20...23-OYT1T50066/
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/olympic/20...23-OYT1T50139/

　来夏に延期された東京五輪・パラリンピックの開閉会式の演出について、大会組織委員会が大幅な簡素化を図る方針であることがわかった。狂言師の野村萬斎さん（５４）が統括する７人の演出チームは解散する。野村さんは組織委のアドバイザーにとどまる予定で、２３日に記者会見して説明する。

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/202..._139613301.htm

TOKYO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee announced here on Wednesday that Hiroshi Sasaki has replaced actor Nomura Mansai to become the chief executive creative director of next year's opening and closing ceremonies.

Sasaki, director of the flag handover ceremony at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will be responsible for revising the program for next year's opening and closing ceremonies for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The organizers said that the ceremonies will be "in tune with the situation next summer," and will "likely take a simpler and more restrained approach designed to reflect the overall simplification of the Games and the potential need to still consider COVID-19 countermeasures."

https://zh.cn.nikkei.com/politicsaec...-10-36-55.html

圍繞受新冠疫情影響而推遲到2021年夏季舉行的東京奧運會和殘奧會的開閉幕式，東京奧運會組織委員會（以下稱：東京奧組委）12月23日宣佈，解散由日本狂言師野村萬齋擔任總統籌的演出企劃團隊，起用負責導演殘奧會的創意總監佐佐木宏為新的總統籌。
在2020年3月決定東京奧運會延期後，東京奧組委考慮到削減經費和防控疫情，一直在推動簡辦奧運會。東京奧組委秘書長武藤敏郎在12月23日于東京都內召開的記者會上宣佈，東京奧運會開閉幕式的演出也在從零開始進行重新調整，並解釋説「東京奧組委已得出結論，那就是為了在有限時間內高效推進，需要構建新的體制」。

[zeio]

One Japanese columnist can't help but writes about the "100% accurate Olympic curse" of the PM stepping down in the Olympic year.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6a...9bf88544c2b845

Political changes will always occur in the year when the Olympics are held in Japan. IKEDA Hayato of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, SATO Eisaku of the Sapporo Olympics in 1972, and HASHIMOTO Ryutaro of the Nagano Olympics in 1998 all resigned in the year the Olympics were held. ABE Nobuyuki and YONAI Mitsumasa were replaced in 1940, when the year became the "phantom Olympics" in the midst of war. And with ABE Shinzo in 2020, the three prime ministers switched from one to the other. In 2021, Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide must fight against this 100% hit rate "Nagatacho Jinx".

[zeio]

Who do humans turn to when worse comes to worst? Kami-sama.

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/ne...00274000c.html

　森会長はコスト削減など大会の簡素化やコロナ対策について説明したが「課題は山積している」と指摘。コロナ対策について「選手、メディア、関係者についてはある程度議論されているが、一番の問題は観衆」とし、世界中で感染拡大が止まらない現状に「無観客となるのか、どれだけ観客を入れられるのか、これは天との勝負。神様がどれだけ味方していただけるかに懸かっている。どんなことになっても、きちんと対応できるように取り組みを進めている」と祈るように語った。

Chairman Mori explained the simplification of the Games such as cost reduction and measures against corona, but pointed out that "there are a lot of problems". Regarding corona countermeasures, "Athletes, media, and related parties have been discussed to some extent, but the biggest problem is the audience." This is a match against heaven. It depends on how much Kami-sama can be on your side. We are working to respond properly no matter what happens, "he said.

---

At the same time, badminton player MOMOTA Kenta isn't warm to the idea of holding Tokyo 2020 regardless of COVID-19.

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/ne...00561000c.html

　出場を確実にしている東京五輪金メダル候補の桃田賢斗（26＝NTT東日本）は、新型コロナ収束が見通せない状況での五輪開催について「自分のことだけを考えてはいられないので、何とも言えない」と複雑な心境を明かした。「開催してもらいたい気持ちは選手としては当然ある」としながらも、安全性確保の重要性は感じている。「周りの人たちの気持ちを不安にさせてしまうのは良くない。誰も不安に感じず、ストレスなくできるなら開催してもらいたいし、そうでないなら…という気持ち」と述べた。

Kento Momota (26=NTT East Japan), a gold medal candidate for the Tokyo Olympics, who has been determined to participate in the Olympics, admits that his feelings are very complicated for hosting the Olympics when the end of the new corona is unpredictable. "Because you can’t just think about yourself, so I can't say anything." Although "the athletes certainly have the hope of hosting the Olympics", they also feel the importance of ensuring safety. "It is not good to make people around you feel uneasy. If no one feels uneasy and can do it without stress, I want them to hold it, otherwise..."

[Tempest/Comet]

Sakura Mori vs Ishikawa in latest T-League 12-2020
11-8 11-0 11-4

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Kasumi must have partied too much LOL

that being said, MORI has been playing very well of late. Last season she was named MVP of the T-League

I've seen also her play in the Champions League and doing well.

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Despite the fact that the PM has declared a state of emergency across the country - which means restaurants / bars / sports centers etc... must close at 8pm and that companies should encourage more telework etc.... -

the national championships are not cancelled and will begin tomorrow

Because of Covid, and the doubles events will be cancelled. There will be no spectactors allowed BUT all the matches will be streamed live

This is the official site
https://www.japantabletennis.com/zennihon2021/

Junior events start from tomorrow and senior events start on Wednesday.

Coach OYA will be #56 and will have to fight from round 2, he was KO'ed early by a junior last year. I hope he will at least reach the game scheduled against a seeded player (Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA)