The 16th All Japan Seniors (over 60) football tournament will kick off in Matsumoto city, Nagano prefecture on 4 June. This tournament aims to promote football as a lifelong sport for senior aged players. Sharing this purpose, the Seniors (over 70) football festival will also be held during the same days. 

This article is introducing the activities of Tokyo selection (Lazos2011) who won this competition 2 years ago. 

When they got the victory 2 years ago, their team name was “Lazos27”. The players of this team were born in “the year Showa 27” which is 1952, and they launched the team in winter of 2011 with the purpose that they will keep playing football even at age of 60. 

The concept of the team is “Enjoy but stick to winning.” The team’s manager Mr MAEDA says: “we got the title of the national competition for over 50 years old and we wanted to keep aiming for the title even after 60 years old. Therefore we valued our sense of competition and each player’s fitness since we started the team. ”

Currently, the team has played in the category 1 of the Tokyo Senior Football League (O-60), as well as joining a league called Katsushika Senior Federation League (Over 50). By playing against younger players, the team can keep their level which gives benefit in the competition amongst players over 60. As Maeda says “most of the players play in other teams as well as Lazos 2011”, many of them belong to teams with younger teammates and enjoy football. 

Lazos means “bonding” in Spanish, and the team has such strong fitness equivalent to professional teams. Last year, the team had an overseas trip to Spain and played against former Barcelona players. Forward player FUKASAWA Mitsuyoshi laughed at the fact that the opponent players were much younger and there weren’t any players over age 60, however they enjoyed international sport exchange through football. In this year, they regularly have two practice matches a month and had trips to Akita and Sendai. During this spring, they played in “Ieyasuko Memorial Cup, the 13th Shimizu Super Senior Football Tournament” in Shizuoka, and has kept improving the team. 

Lazos2011 continues to work hard in the build up to this tournament. Fukasawa says: “compared to 2 years ago when we got the title, the general level of other teams has improved. There won’t be any matches that we can win easily. ” Maeda told: “In competition, how much we are lucky is one of the important factors. We will get ready well to catch the good luck.” In the up-coming competition, they will get united well and work hard to win as many games as possible.  

The 16th All Japan Seniors (over 60) football tournament

Sat. 4 June 2016 - Mon 6 June 2016
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