AS a continuing payback to the country that made him a byword in artistic gymnastics, noted Japanese coach MunehiroKugimiya conducted a four-day workshop last week for young gymnasts (boys and girls) at the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines training center inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Kugimiya, who was instrumental in Carlos EdrielYulo’s bagging two golds at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, taught the basics in men’s artistic gymnastics, while Akiko Akena of the Japanese Gymnastics Association handled the women’s artistic gymnastics course.
“There were two targets for this course: one is for the local coaches to gain more gymnastics knowledge while the young gymnasts learn the basics, the proper foundation, for them to start their gymnastics journey on the right foot,” Kugimiya said.
Most of the participants in the workshop, in collaboration with the GAP led by president Cynthia Carrion, who attended and took part in some of the WAG sessions, are products of the Japanese Cultural Grassroots Project that Kugimiya launched with the Japanese embassy a few years ago.
“The young gymnasts worked very hard, although I sensed that most of what we taught was new to them,” Akena, a former Japanese national team member and chairman of the JGA coach development committee, noted.
“These girls need to work more on their posture, position, footwork and arms,” said Akena, who also gave the participants pointers on overall choreography.
Kugimiya, who is also a member of the JGA coach development committee, said it was hard to gauge the progress of the gymnasts based on the results of the short workshops, “but hopefully we can do more advanced lessons in succeeding courses.”
