“I never thought that I would be selected. I thought I was not at that level. I was really surprised.”
It was a bolt from the blue.
Kanoya National Sports College’s Shunta Hara was called up as an additional candidate for the Samurai Japan Collegiate National Team See photos related to this article Shunta Hara, the 4th shortstop for Kanoya College of Physical Education, was called up as an additional candidate for the Samurai Japan Collegiate National Team on June 17. I participated in the selection training camp that was held for three days.
Until just a few days ago, Hara’s name recognition was almost non-existent. From Seiseiko, Kumamoto, known for both literary and martial arts, to Kanoya National Sports College. This year, in his senior year, he contributed to the team’s first appearance in the university championship as captain. The style of fighting as a united team at Kanoya University left a vivid impression on baseball fans, and advanced to the best 8 by defeating the Kansai champion Kinki University. Hara hit two homers in three games.
49 elites will participate in the selection camp. For Hara, “I don’t know a single person,” and it’s a lonely situation.
From Hara’s perplexed point of view, “I never thought I would be a candidate for the national team,” I looked into the world of top-class universities.
[I definitely felt the wall]
The selection camp was held at Batting Palace Aishi Stadium Hiratsuka in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. For Hara, it was decided to come to Kanto by plane three times in a short period of time, including the university championship, the award ceremony of the university championship, and this selection camp. The university championship finals were funded by donations collected in advance and at their own expense, and after the awards ceremony, the federation and team covered the costs. Hara felt a sense of mission, saying, “I have to grab something good and bring it back to the team.”
The first conversation was with Kazuki Miyazaki (Yamanashi Gakuin University) in the same room. He also got to know Ryota Matsui (Doshisha University) and Hitoshi Kimura (Kyushu Kyoritsu University). Kimura, in particular, was a fellow university student in the same Kyushu region, so we became close friends, such as going back from the stadium to the lodgings together.
However, Hara noticed something. There were quite a few players around him who were already close friends. They are the players of the Tokyo Big 6 League and the Toto University League, where many players are called up.
Inevitably, they often act together among their league mates. For Hara, who was called up for the first time, it must have felt like a thick wall. When I heard that, Hara replied with a wry smile.
“I definitely felt the wall.
2023-06-28 11:33:54
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