Naoya Inoue, who unified the thrones of four groups in the professional boxing bantamweight division, was selected for the Japan Professional Sports Award, which is given to the most active professional athletes and groups this year.

In December last year, Inoue became the world's first professional boxing bantamweight champion to unify the four major groups, and became the first Japanese player to unify the four groups.



This is the first time that Inoue has won the Japan Professional Sports Award, and the award ceremony was held at a hotel in Tokyo on the 2nd.



The award ceremony was held for the first time in about four years due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and Inoue was handed the Prime Minister's Cup.

Inoue said, “Last year we were able to win the 3-group unification match and the 4-group unification match, and I was able to see a really wonderful view on the ring. As one of the people who will lead Japanese professional sports, I would like to devote myself to training even more so that I can show a match that will get the public enthusiastic."



Shingo Kunieda, a wheelchair tennis player who won the Wimbledon Championship last year and won all four major tournaments and the Paralympic Games, achieving the "Lifetime Golden Slam" and retired from active duty in January, won the Distinguished Service Award and the NHK Award. Chosen.



In addition to this, the Distinguished Service Award goes to Major League Baseball Angel Shohei Ohtani, who had 15 wins as a pitcher last season, an ERA of 2.33, 219 strikeouts, and a batter with 34 home runs and 95 RBIs.



Munetaka Murakami of Yakult, who hit 56 home runs, the most by a Japanese player in professional baseball, and won the triple crown at the youngest time in history, was selected.



In addition, Orix, who won Japan's best professional baseball title last season for the first time in 26 years, and Hajime Moriyasu, who led Japan to the best 16 at the World Cup Qatar tournament, were selected as special prizes.

Naoya Inoue "I want to push forward in pursuit of results"

Naoya Inoue, who won his first "Japan Professional Sports Award", told the press after the award ceremony, "I am very honored, and I will do my best to be recognized for my activities. I think it will be a year of raising the class and really challenging myself, so I want to tighten my mind even more."



After that, he said, "I think it's really good that the professional sports world will be excited by being active and producing results. I want to push forward in pursuit of results."

Shingo Kunieda "I feel happy to be evaluated"

Wheelchair tennis Shingo Kunieda, who received the Distinguished Service Award of the Japan Professional Sports Awards and the NHK Award, commented, "I was honored to have my wheelchair tennis victory at Wimbledon last year evaluated among professional sports people. I feel happy," he said with joy.



When asked what he would like to convey to athletes competing in the world in the future, he said, "Even if you retire, you only live once, so enjoy it to the fullest. I want to tell the same thing to active athletes."

Director Hajime Moriyasu "I'm happy if the activities lead to courage and confidence"

Director Hajime Moriyasu, who won the special prize of the "Japan Professional Sports Awards", said, "I am very grateful and honored. The players and staff really did their best and gave their all in the World Cup. I would like to express my gratitude to



On top of that, ``The players showed that Japan can win even if they fight against a powerful country that has won the World Cup. I would be happy if our activities would connect so that we can face it with courage and confidence when we win."