Courtesy: The Asahi Shimbum


Japanese-Peruvian Morioka to represent Japan at Futsal World Cup

by Takanori Saito

Just a month after getting his Japanese citizenship in August, Kaoru Morioka got his second piece of good news: the third-generation Japanese-Peruvian had been chosen as a candidate to represent Japan at the FIFA Futsal World Cup, to be held in Thailand in November.

"I'm 33, but I feel like a rookie," said Morioka, who usually plays for the Nagoya Oceans. "I want to show off plays that make everyone glad they chose me."

Though it is the first time he has been chosen for the national team, he is already a well-known player.

Last season, Morioka won the coveted top scorer and MVP awards in the F.League, Japan's top-tier futsal league. This season, he's again in the running for the top scorer title. Morioka often excites the crowd with powerful plays, even though he didn't become a dedicated futsal player until he was over 20 years old.

An avid soccer fan throughout his childhood, Morioka came to Japan with his family at the age of 12. But he had difficulty adjusting to his new environment and dropped out of high school. He stayed in Japan, though, and was working here when he saw an ad for a futsal team that was looking for new members. It was just the opportunity he had been waiting for.

With his superior athletic abilities, Morioka quickly caught the attention of coaches and was even called to join the Peruvian national team training camp before the 2008 World Cup. But his dream was to represent Japan, so he applied for Japanese citizenship three times before finally obtaining it in August.

Prior to becoming a Japanese citizen, Morioka says it was hard to watch his fellow players competing on the global stage. When Japan won the Asian Championships, held from May to June, and secured its spot at the World Cup, Morioka said he was heartbroken because he couldn't be on the pitch with them.

When he finally obtained his Japanese citizenship, a friend sent him a replica of the Japanese national team jersey. Morioka said he tried it on right away.

But the person who wanted Morioka on the Japanese national futsal team the most was perhaps head coach Miguel Rodrigo.

"Morioka has the skills to score goals. I hope that he will make full use of his athletic abilities," Rodrigo said.

Morioka jokes that the head coach's comment has put a lot of pressure on him, but said he is still determined to do his best to help Japan break through the first round of games at the World Cup.

"I'll do the same as when I play for the Nagoya Oceans. I hope that my plays will lead to goals especially in times of crises," he said enthusiastically.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com