Tomokazu Harimoto's second V "I'm also a challenger until I win gold at the Olympics" | Ping Pong Average

On the 13th, the 2022 ZEN-NOH CUP TOP32 entered its second day in Funabashi, and the men’s singles final was held.

Tomokazu Harimoto wins the championship for the second time

In the men’s singles final, he defeated Daito Shinozuka (Aichi Institute of Technology) in the semifinals.Tomokazu Harimoto(IMG), Kazuki Hamada (Waseda Univ.),Kazuhiro Yoshimura(Individual), Ryoichi Yoshiyama (Aiko Daimei Denko) and other influential players were defeated to advance to the finals.Yuta Tanaka(Aichi Institute of Technology) has become a battle.

Photo: Yuta Tanaka (Aichi Institute of Technology)/Photo: Rally editorial staff

Tanaka got close to Harimoto with a high quality two-handed drive that seemed to get sucked into the table, but Harimoto overpowered Tanaka with a destructive fore drive and a fast back drive that hit. In the third game, there was a scene where the lead was conceded, but Harimoto led the game from start to finish and won the game count 4-0. It was the second time after the first selection meeting and the third time including the T League individual competition.

As a result of the men’s singles final, Harimoto and Tanaka’s comments after the match are as follows.

Commentary by Tomokazu Harimoto

Looking back on this tournament

This was the hardest election for me. Even in the semi-final match against Shinozuka, there were times when we were forced to lose, and there were many unfortunate points, but we managed to play without giving up remembering how painful it was to lose.

Is there pressure as a position to chase?

Rather than being chased, I feel like I’m running with them. If other athletes chase me and I chase China, I don’t think I’ll run away.

About Koki Niwa, who has announced her retirement from international competitions

As a player who fought alongside me and as a fan, I am honestly disappointed, but as it was Mr. Niwa’s decision, I will do my best to respect it. We are rivals in Japan, but I will carry Niwa’s thoughts on my shoulders and challenge to overthrow China in the international tournament.

About the future

Since we have T-League, Asian Cup and European Champions League, I would like to get a lot of experience with strong teammates. Also, since I recently failed to win the All Japan Championship, I will try to win the All Japan Championship as well.

Commentary by Yuta Tanaka

looking back at the game

Playing in the final gave me confidence, but I was disappointed that I couldn’t play so well because I often fell behind in the final. Especially in the third game, I made a mistake in choosing the serve and couldn’t finish the game, so I regret it.

In terms of play throughout the tournament, the positive point was that the percentage of goals scored from serve was high.

What is the real meaning of the words “I bet on this year”?

This year is my fourth year in college, and it’s my last year as an undergraduate, so I want to use that as motivation to produce results. We managed to win the All Japan High School Championship and also won the second place in this tournament, so I want to follow this trend.

About the future

I want to show good results in national and international competitions, such as the French championship and the All Japan Championship, which I’ve been participating in since this season.