12:23 JST, July 21, 2024
During a recent judo training in Japan, Hiroshi Izumi instructs one of his team members, looking him straight in the eye as he grabs the collar of his judo uniform. But he speaks English, with some basic Arabic that he knows.
Izumi, a former Olympic medalist for Japan, is the coach of Egypt, which has two athletes who have qualified in judo for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. While overcoming language and cultural differences, he has a clear goal: “To produce Olympic medalists.”
The 42-year-old Izumi, who won a silver medal in the under 90 kilogram class at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, moved to Egypt in January this year to start his new career.
With two weeks to go before Paris, Izumi brought the two Egyptians to Japan for training at judo powerhouse Tokai University in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. “It gives them the chance to spar with different types of opponents and practice in a real competition environment,” Izumi said July 11. “This is the final preparation for the Olympics.”
Born in Oma, Aomori Prefecture, Izumi retired after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he failed to win a second consecutive medal after losing in the second round. The following year, he began a brief stint in the mixed martial arts world.
Since leaving MMA, he has traveled the judo world, coaching corporate teams and giving clinics throughout Japan, dedicating himself to training the next generation in the sport.
In October last year, the offer to become the national coach of the Egyptian national team came. Izumi initially did not take the chance. In addition to the language barrier, he has two small children aged 1 and 5.
But coaching a national team had always been on his radar and with encouragement from his wife, he decided to move to Egypt. His family remained in Japan.
Efforts pay off in African ships
Izumi soon discovered that coaching abroad does not always go as smoothly as in Japan.
In Egypt, 90% of the population is Muslim, and athletes of that faith are not allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan. So Izumi asked the team to eat after sunset and began training in the evenings. An Arabic interpreter was not always available during training, which meant that points he wanted to make often fell through.
Yet Izumi patiently continued to teach his pupils, believing that judo is โ30% technique, 70% mind and concentration.โ
The fruits of his efforts were reaped at the African Championships in April, where Egypt won eight individual medals and the overall team title in the mixed team event.
The source of the steady improvement has not gone unnoticed. Abdelrahman Abdelghany, who will compete in the menโs 81kg class in Paris, said Izumi always supports him and called him the best coach in the world, adding that he is someone he wants to emulate.
Izumi’s contract runs until 2028, the year of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He has competed in two Olympic Games himself, so he knows how hard it is to win. But that doesn’t stop him from producing Egyptian medal winners at the Olympic Games and world championships.
“I do not mind [the Paris Olympics] as a goal,โ Izumi said. โWe will see how strong we can be until the Games in Los Angeles. This is just the beginning.โ