In Okinawa, from August to September this year, at the Okinawa Arena (Okinawa City) “FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023（W cup)” will be held.
There are more than 300 clubs for children under the age of 12, including on the main island of Okinawa and outlying islands. Basketball (basketball) is familiar even compared to the mainland. In such Okinawa, the “legendary grandfather”, who everyone knows if he likes basketball, has resumed full-scale practice again after a long period of time due to the corona wreck.
[Actual video]“Legendary Grandpa” wins by scoring 3 points against B Leaguer
It wasn’t until he turned 50 that he picked up a ball for the first time.
There are countless basketball rinks on Araha Beach in Chatan Town, Okinawa Prefecture. While the children were throwing the ball at the goal, there was a “legendary grandfather”.Lives in Aragusuku, Ginowan CityYoshimitsu MiyagiMr. (78) shows up on the court at 9 am every morning and keeps throwing the ball. He scored easily even in front of me. Continue doing this in the morning and afternoon until you get 50 bottles each.
28 years of basketball experience. You might think he’d resumed his childhood sport after a hiatus, but it wasn’t until he turned 50 that he picked up basketball for the first time. He started working at a register sales company after he turned 30, and continued to work relentlessly. He sold it for sale to the mainland. However, after many years of unreasonableness, one day after turning 50, he suddenly became unable to move. He couldn’t move forward unless he walked 100 meters without rest.
“What is life for at this rate?” He graciously handed over the company to his sons and decided to concentrate on recovering his physical strength.
There was no hope of exercising my body, which had become worn out from years of overuse, so I started with forest bathing, which also included a walk. He gradually lost his breath and was able to walk and go on long trips. One day, she happened to be standing in front of the basketball rink at Okinawa Prefectural Sports Park Gymnasium (Kenso) in Okinawa City. Out of curiosity, she borrowed a ball, bounced it, and shot it. interesting.
■ Starting from “1 out of 58 throws”, 12 hours of hard practice a day
Practicing hard until basketball becomes smooth Photo: Michiharu Honda
I tried to shoot, but I threw 58 times and only got one.
People around me told me, “It’s impossible for me to start playing basketball at your age. You should stop.”
“I thought I would end up with a shaved head,” Miyagi said. However, the ridicule of those around him instead ignited his unwillingness to lose. I went to the prefectural general office every day and practiced earnestly with the goal of making 100 shots each in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
Whenever I found a good player, I asked them, “How can you make a shot so well?” He watched the good players how to throw and how to make shots. Gradually, things started to get decided, and I started by asking first graders to shoot from around the rink.
“I won.” Next, I raised the hurdles in the second and third grades of elementary school, and I was able to beat the junior high school students competing for 1st and 2nd place in the prefecture.
“I got carried away and applied to a high school student who was a strong team that had won the championship in the prefecture, but as expected, I lost.” Still I kept trying. “From the third time onwards, I was able to win.”
Every morning, at 9:00 a.m., when the prefectural general hall opened, he made 100 shots in the morning, 100 in the afternoon, and 100 in the evening. A few years later, Mr. Miyagi, who had raised his arm, began to bring up the victory of the 3-point shooter. People around him were surprised to see Mr. Miyagi scoring one shot after another from more than 6 meters away from the basket.
■Can’t use the court due to the corona sickness, suspending practice
After practicing at the prefectural general for about 12 years, he moved to Araha Beach, which is close to his current home. The reason was the increase in gas prices.
“Since I moved here, I have started skipping practice.” Even so, he practices daily with the goal of scoring 50 3-point shots in the morning and afternoon. However, there was a time when the coat could not be used due to the spread of coronavirus infection. Mr. Miyagi, a practice bug, was also forced to stay at home and became weak. There was a time when he was depressed, saying, “My physical strength is declining.
After the coronavirus pandemic, he resumed practice, but said, “I can’t stretch my limbs. Even if I shoot from directly under the basket, I can only get 2 or 3 shots out of 10. Lately, I’ve finally been able to make free throws. Intuition. It will take at least three times as long to get it back,” he said, regretting the suspension of practice due to the corona disaster.
Mr. Yoshimitsu Miyagi, wearing a T-shirt called “Unyielding” written by Kamejiro Senaga, practices at Araha Beach in Chatan Town, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture on January 5. Photo by Michiharu Honda.
■ Victory over “God of 3 Points”, will there be a match with Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe?
Miyagi, who has resumed practice, is called “God of 3 points”Ryukyu Golden KingsofNaoki Tashiro、Ryunosuke WatanabeHe still hasn’t regained the momentum and brilliance of 2017 when he won both (at that time) players with a 3-point shot.
However, Miyagi-san does not give up. The T-shirt that says “Unyielding” that he always wears during practice speaks for itself. It was written by a symbolic figure in the anti-American struggle in Okinawa.Kamejiro Senagais.
Senaga served successively as a member of the Legislative Assembly and as mayor of Naha City in Okinawa, which was under the rule of the US military. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in the national election of Okinawa on November 15, 1970, before Okinawa was returned to Japan, and served seven terms.
When Mr. Miyagi was in his twenties working in Tokyo, he brought a bunch of bananas and visited Senaga without an appointment. At that time, it is said that Senaga handed him a piece of colored paper with the word “unyielding” written on it. “He was a wonderful person who risked his life for Okinawa.” Following Senaga’s “indomitable” spirit, Mr. Miyagi plans to revive him.
His basketball career, which started at the age of 50, has now reached 28 years. He has used up 35 basketballs so far. His balls have an average lifespan of about a year. Continue using the ball until all protrusions on the surface of the ball are gone and you can no longer hold it with the back of your hand.
Is there a possibility that the legendary grandfather will face Rui Hachimura (left) and Yuta Watanabe in a 3-point showdown at the World Cup? (C) Getty Images
I would like Mr. Miyagi to make a full recovery by August 25th when the Basketball World Cup will be held.Rui Hachimuraplayers and the Brooklyn NetsYuta WatanabeI want you to have a 3-point shoot match with a player.
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Author profile
Michiharu Honda Freelance journalist
From August 1997 to July 2002, he was stationed in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Jakarta, Indonesia as a correspondent for the Yomiuri Shimbun. He has since lived in Laos, Singapore and Vietnam. He has been in Southeast Asia for 10 years. His hobby is visiting historical sites.
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