The 10th Japan Beach Soccer Championship will kick off at Okura beach in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, on 11 September. This time, we had Japan National Team player GOTO Takasuke, of Tokyo Lequios BS to talk about the attractive points about the sport and tournament.

(Cooperation of Tokyo Lequios BS)

Player interview GOTO Takasuke (Tokyo Lequios BS)

– What does the Japan Beach Soccer Championship mean to you?

Goto: This is a special tournament that I got to make the first contact with beach football. In 2005, when it was called “JAPAN beach football championship,” I competed as a member of the Sunahama no Yosei Miffey to Yukai na Nakamatachi team and we happened to advance to the semifinals. I floated a pass from behind me with one touch dodging a defender and then made a shot dodging the goalkeeper, who took off the goal, by lifting. I remember that it was just so much fun.

– What's so intriguing about beach football?

Goto: First, you see a lot of goals scored. I think that it's also intriguing that you see a lot of acrobatic shots, like overhead shots and jumping volleys, and they make the shots into the goal as if they are not so unusual. Because the stands and players are so close, the fans are able to feel the breathing by the players and with the music that the DJ’s play, the site gets really unified. It's really fun and once you come to venues, you'll get to know what I'm talking about. We are not going to let you down.

– The Japan Beach Soccer Championship will enter in its 10th edition this time.

Goto: We get supports from the officials, including those of the JFA, every year and have nothing but appreciation for them. Yet personally, I'm thrilled to have aged so much. But whenever I get to play in this the Japan Beach Soccer Championship, I love the mood, because we have a sense of a unity like a family in the beach football circle, including the players, fans, tournament officials and referees.

The level of the tournament has risen as well. It felt like we just played football on the sands for the first couple tournaments, but we've had teams that are specialized for beach football lately and have gotten better competitions. While the strategic parts are getting more interesting, it's getting harder for anyone to win.

For us, it was quite natural to advance to the final, but we are going to have to play tough matches from the first round and if we keep winning, we will face Sol Mar Praia Okinawa, whom we took on in the final last year, in the semifinals.

– Because it's harder to win, it gives you some extra motivation, doesn't it?

Goto: Tokyo Lequios BS are really looking for our third straight championship, so we want to tell to come easy on us. Well, seriously, we want to put up game, not just by ourselves, but with the opponents as well, and look for good results in the tournaments. In order to increase the population of the players, we need to make it fun for those who watch the game for the first time, and I believe that in a long run it's the best promotion to put up games that bring the best out of the opponents as well.

For those who read this page, please come to the 10th Japan Beach Soccer Championship. For those who can't come, please check the videos and if you find it fun, please come to another tournament. I assure that it will be a lot of fun.

The 10th Japan Beach Soccer Championship

Fri. 11 September - Sun. 13 September
Hyogo/Akashi Okura Beach
Order of implementation the present campaign
Match information