Olympian stood up shoes for barefoot runners August 11th 21:11

Tanzania, where Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the continent, rises in eastern Africa.

135 pairs of sports shoes have been delivered all the way from Niigata prefecture to this country, which is more than 10,000 kilometers away from Japan.

There was an Olympian desire to support women in their home countries through sports.

(Niigata Broadcasting Station reporter Naoji Nohara)

The opportunity was 27 years ago

Why did the shoes cross the sea?

The reason for this goes back 27 years.

In 1994, at a marathon event in the town of Muikamachi, Niigata Prefecture (currently Minami Uonuma City), there was a player running at the front.

Juma Ikangaa from Tanzania, who was famous as a world-class runner at that time.

Ikangaa has participated in the Olympic Games three times as a representative of Tanzania in the marathon.

It was also called the "African star".

It is also known for having a dead heat just before the goal with Toshihiko Seko of Japan at the 1983 Fukuoka International Marathon.

It was Yuichi Imai, who was a staff member of the town hall at the time, who invited Ikangaa to the old Muikamachi tournament.

At that time, Mr. Imai was in charge of town revitalization.

I was talking to the Japan Association of Athletics Federations to invite top track and field athletes to the local marathon event.

By chance, Ikangaa, who was scheduled to come to Japan to participate in the international competition, had plenty of time to spare, and the invitation was realized.

Yuichi Imai

"At the end, I was decided to be Ikangaa at the very last minute, but I wondered if it was a terrible twist, a terrific person would come, and I wonder if it would really come."

However, due to the limited budget of the tournament, we cannot afford expensive hotels for accommodation.

Therefore, Ikangaa's destination was Mr. Imai's home.

Mr. Imai:

"I couldn't afford the hotel fee, so I had him stay at my house for 13 nights, but Juma said," I'm really glad that I was treated like a family in Japan and absorbed Japanese culture. " Even if the children in the town come to visit us, they will be friendly and friendly. It is Juma who has become a really close friend. "

Mr. Ikangaa

"I participated in the marathon in the town because I wanted to get to know Japanese people. I remember that many people cheered me from the roadside saying" Good luck, good luck "when I was running. "

I ate a lot of rice from Uonuma and had Mr. Imai take me to Mt. Hakkai during my stay. I still remember the beautiful view of the Sea of ​​Japan from Mt. Hakkai."

Mr. Imai who familiarly calls Mr. Ikangaa "Juma".

Even after the marathon event, we went back and forth between each other's countries and continued to interact with the whole family.

Meanwhile, three years ago (2018), Mr. Ikangaa, who was visiting Japan, offered me a consultation.

I was asked if I could somehow collect and send used shoes.

30% run barefoot Difficulty surrounding female athletes

Actually, Mr. Ikangaa, after retiring from the competition, I have been searching for an environment where women in my home country can devote themselves to sports.

Four years ago, with the cooperation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the government of Tanzania, the first national women's land competition "Ladies First" was held in Tanzania.

However, about 30% of the athletes ran barely for financial reasons.

Ikangaa was shocked by the situation and stood up trying to improve the situation.

Mr. Ikangaa

"There are many players in my country who can't buy shoes. Without shoes, it's easy to get injured during practice, but with shoes, you can perform better in the game. "

It is Harima Hamza who participated in the national tournament held by Ikangaa and others.

I am aiming to participate in the Olympics in a marathon.

Mr. Hamza, who has been competing barefoot himself, complains about the harsh environment surrounding female athletes in his home country.

Harima Hamza

"It is difficult to continue practicing for financial reasons, and many athletes do not have running shoes or spike shoes. Especially for female athletes, parents can understand the practice. Sometimes not. "

Veronica Paulo, who also participated in the national competition and has run barefoot himself, says that it is difficult to even pay for transportation.

Veronica Paulo

"I can't pay for the transportation to the stadium, and my parents oppose me, so there aren't many female players on my team. I can't pay for the bus, so I go to practice every day. Can't

Mr. Ikangaa appeals that he wants to challenge the two "gap" surrounding women, such as economic hardship and gender prejudice, through the success of athletes.

Mr. Ikangaa

"Technology has led to the development of very sophisticated shoes, but many athletes do not have access to sports equipment, and some parents oppose women playing sports. Women's participation in competition also leads to gender equality and encouragement for women. "

"I was also a really poor student," Mr. Imai struggling.

In response to a request from Mr. Ikangaa, Mr. Imai solicited donations of used shoes on his SNS last February.

In my heart, I once had a painful experience of myself.

Mr. Imai

"When I was a student, I was a really poor student. I delivered newspapers in the morning and evening, and there was sales and collection of money. Since the university was also a science and engineering department, I have experiments and practical training, but to distribute the evening edition I had to leave early. The professor said, "Which is more important, studying or part-time work?" But if I quit delivery, I had to quit school. There was a very difficult time. "

Mr. Imai said that he couldn't leave the Tanzanian player alone because he felt the regret that he couldn't stand on the same starting line.

Perhaps I understood that idea, shoes gathered at Mr. Imai from inside and outside the prefecture in a blink of an eye.

The number is about 300 pairs.

It's nearly three times the target.

Mr. Imai's room is full of shoes.

We worked with neighbors and local athletics officials to pack and inspect.

It could not be sent immediately due to tariff procedures and the influence of the new coronavirus, but with the cooperation of JICA, it was shipped safely in February.

After being quarantined, it was handed over to the players in April.

"This doesn't hurt my legs." The aim is the Olympics

Hamza, who used to run barefoot, was one of the people who received the shoes this time.

The players around them who practice in a harsh environment also say that they are motivated.

Hamza

"With shoes, my legs don't hurt and I can get a better time. I am grateful to the Japanese people for their support."

Paul, who also received the shoes, talked about his dream for the future.

Paul

"I'm using the shoes I received for practice. I'm sure I'll be able to perform better at the next competition. I want to participate in international competitions like the Olympics in the future."

To support the players who are likely to be discouraged

About 10 local media companies rushed to the shoe delivery ceremony in Tanzania and attracted attention.

Mr. Imai and Mr. Ikangaa will continue to support the players so that they can demonstrate their talents.

Yuichi Imai

"There are some players who can't afford to buy shoes due to financial reasons and can't bring out their potential. I think it would be great if the shoes I sent were useful and a player who could play an active part in the Olympics was born. That's my dream now. "

Juma Ikangaa

"The athletes who received the shoes were very pleased. I believe that the athletes who received support will play an active role in big competitions such as the Olympic Games in the near future. To the people of Niigata and Japan ,I appreciate it very much"

This year, Ikangaa, who is 64 years old.

During the interview, he himself confessed that he was injured by running barefoot at the beginning of his career.

For that reason, it is hard to see young players who cannot buy shoes.

If the new virus had converged, Ikangaa would have hoped to come to Japan in time for the Tokyo Olympics.

The reunion with Mr. Imai and Mr. Toshihiko Seko may have come true.

However, travel to and from overseas was also restricted, and even at the Olympic Games, interaction with athletes was limited.

Still, Ikangaa and his colleagues want to know about the existence of players who are facing harsh environments overseas.

Niigata Broadcasting Station reporter　

Naoji Nohara Joined in 2015

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The prefecture where I lived the longest in my life became Niigata.

Currently covering Sado, TEPCO / Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, international affairs, medical issues, etc.