The Kawai family is probably the most successful wrestling family in Japan. While Risako Kawai is the most accomplished of the lot with an Olympic medal and three world titles in her kitty, Yukako, her youngest sister has also started making a name for herself. The latter recently became the Asian champion and is the 2018 U23 world champ too. But they are not the first generation of wrestlers in their family. Their father Takato Kawai too was a wrestler who fought in the 77kg weight class in the Greco-Roman style. Now, with Tokyo Olympics deferred and everything on virtual standstill in the world of wrestling, they are training together for the Games which will be held next year.
Risako says, “I use the bullet train colloquially known as Shinkansen a lot, so I was very cautious when Coronavirus arrived in Japan around January this year.” In April of this year, when the infection of professional baseball player Hanshin Tigers Shintaro Fujinami, the perspective towards coronavirus changed. “Until then, I thought it would affect older people and people with underlying illnesses. I knew it was even more dangerous after I knew that it could affect athletes as well,” she added.
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The practice base, Shigakukan University Wrestling Club, has been refraining from practice since the end of March, and mat training cannot continue even in mid-June. “At first, I thought it would be nice to have an individual practice, but I wasn’t able to do it because it was difficult if something happened. I sometimes use a wrestling dojo in class, but it’s not so easy. I think that mat training will be resumed while keeping a close watch on the situation.”
“As of early June, I haven’t practised wrestling at all. The current practice is centred on the weight training area of the university where the license has been issued. When I’m doing weight training with my sister Yukako at Shigakukan, I’m getting a videophone examination. I used to have spend half a year in Nagoya and half in Tokyo, so I want to get back to my normal life soon.”
During his long-standing self-quarantine, she received advice from his father, who told her,”don’t worry because wrestling techniques do not die. The rest is physical strength. It is okay if you breathe up or do core training firmly.”
On her biggest challenge in the 57kg division Helen Maroulis, also the Olympic champ, Risako says,”I haven’t fought against Helen, so I have to try it. I think that the players who fought in are absolutely stronger. The time of one year is given to everyone equally, I hope to use it effectively.”
While uncertainty continues to loom over the wrestling’s future, Risako is looking forward to the all-Japan training camp, which is scheduled to resume in July.