The 27th All Japan Ladies Football Tournament is to be held on Saturday 19 March. In this article we present the latter part of the interview with IKEDA Hiromi, who led Azure Hyogo to the title in the 25th tournament, and is currently the coach of Shobi University women’s football club. For the coming Tournament, she sent a shout-out to the participating players.

- What did you find in the All Japan Ladies Football Tournament?

IKEDA Hiromi: I realised that football is better to be played, rather than talked about. Although what I can do on the pitch is limited now compared to when I was in my twenties or thirties, kicking the ball myself is meaningful to me. So I enjoyed myself.

- Do you have any impressions or suggestions for the tournament?

IKEDA: How about dividing the tournament into age categories, when there are enough participating teams? Though this tournament currently targets players over thirty years old, there is no upper limit. Once you’re over thirty, 10 years can make a big difference to your stamina. I think it’s kinder to have ‘Over 30’, ‘Over 40’ categories and so on. Then a wider age groups can enjoy playing football even more.

- Then, each team may become more competitive?

IKEDA: If we reduce the disadvantages of age and let teams at a similar level play against each other, the tournament will be more exciting. I enjoyed myself playing seriously in the 25th tournament. When I played for Azure Hyogo, I played as hard as possible, even though I realised my physical limits.

- Do you have a message to the players participating this time?

IKEDA: Please enjoy it as much as possible. I hope all the players will continue playing football or any sports for a long time. After graduating from high school, I played for a corporate team and Nadeshiko Japan. The top-level players are only a tiny part of women’s football. I’d love other people to get more involved in football. Personally, I think we need more mums, who know and enjoy football. Then they can tell their children "how much fun football is", which will increase the number of women players.

- What do you think about the environment for playing football?

IKEDA: In Kobe (Hyogo), where I used to live, there was a good environment for mothers to continue playing football, whereas Honjo (Saitama) does not have it. You need to find some courage to start something new in that kind of place. If you have a small number of people playing football, the standard at the top-level can’t be high. So I’d like to contribute more to develop women’s football. It’s vital to pass on an enjoyment of football to the next generation and improve the environment for women, in order to increase the number of women’s players. I hope there will be more championships like the All Japan Ladies Football Tournament.

The 27th All Japan Ladies Football Tournament

19 March 2016 - 21 March 2016
Susono Ground of Tokinosumika Sports Centre (Susono, Shizuoka)
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