Japanese exec rally behind Phl athletes
Recognizing the potential of Filipino athletic talent to excel given proper support, Tokyo Sports Press president Koji Hiranabe gave much-needed sports gear to national track and field athletes Frederick Ramirez and Harry Diones for their training and competitions.
In the presence of their coaches Jojo Posadas and wife Elma Muros-Posadas, a former national standout herself, Hiranabe awarded middle distance runner Ramirez and triple jumper Diones quality track shoes and other equipment to support their athletic careers.
“As a former sportsman myself, we realize how hard athletes work and prepare for their competitions. Hopefully these will help them to be better in their sport,” Hiranabe said through an interpreter during a recent visit to Manila.
He is the man behind the success of Tokyo Sports Press, Japan’s biggest sports newspaper and which also has a widely-read website in Japanese.
Hiranabe, who admires former eightdivision world champion and Pinoy boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, was on a business trip together with colleague and associate Hideyuki Suzuki, vice president of Todashoji Co. Ltd., upon the invitation of KG Management director Jun Basas Esturco.
“This is a big help to the training and competition of Frederick and Harry. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Mr. Hiranabe’s support for our local athletes,” Posadas, who has nurtured the development and progress of both Ramirez and Diones, noted.
Ramirez is a member of the men’s 4x400-meter relay squad that set a new national record of three minutes and 4.89 seconds that placed fifth in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games and ruled the same event in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games last year.
Even more impressive and showing marked improvement, Ramirez topped the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association performance trials in his forte last weekend with a time 46.83 seconds, more than two seconds faster than 48.87 second he clocked in the Hangzhou Asiad.
‘This is a big help to the training and competition of Frederick and Harry. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Mr. Hiranabe’s support for our local athletes.’