A relationship forged in the 70s between the late Viliame Takayawa Snr and retired schoolteacher head coach Kiofumi Manada Sensei continues today.
The late Viliame Takayawa Snr, regarded as the ‘Father of Judo’ in Fiji, first met Kiofumi Manada Sensei while attending a university in Japan where their ties through the sport of judo was developed and grown over the years.
That relationship continued when Viliame’s sons joined the sport which saw three-time Olympian Nacanieli Takayawa train under the masterful guidance of Kiofumi Manada Sensei.
Naca went on to compete at the 1992, 1996 and 2002 Olympic Games and won Gold at the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester in 2002.
Fast forward 30 years later, a handful of Fijian judokas can secure scholarships to train and study with some of the world’s best in Japan while Kiofumi Manada Sensei would also visit Fiji along with students of Nihon Gakuen High
School where he taught to train with our local athletes.
“Every summer holiday I used to travel to Japan and stay with Kiofumi Manada Sensei as he was the coach for the Nihon Gakuen High School. As a teenager going to Japan for training it really helped me improve.
“In Japan they train six days in a week and the next couple of months when I stayed there during my early teenage competition and since then the Sensei has come over every two years, bringing over high school students to have a good training session with our Fiji boys and girls training here,” former Fijian Olympian Naca Takayawa shared.
Almost like a tradition, Kiofumi Manada Sensei was in Suva on Monday with six judokas from Nihon Gakuen High School and two others from a local club in Japan to train with our Fijian athletes.
“Its a good experience for our athletes competing with some very talented judo athletes from overseas, its an advantage for our judokas.
“They have been doing this for the last 30 years and through this relationship way back in the 70s when my dad was the national head coach. It has enabled this relationship and helped athletes to study and have scholarships in
Ryutsu Keizai University which has enabled three of our four athletes to represent Fiji at the Olympics,” Naca added.
The bond shared has allowed for deeper connections between Fijian judokas and athletes from Japan through training and cultural exchange.
Naca also acknowledged the support of the Fijian government, the Fiji Sports Commission, Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as other supporters in FMF, Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways) for having a hand in keeping the sport of judo alive throughout the years.
