NEWS

A farewell ceremony for former JFA Supreme Advisor and President Ken Naganuma, who died at the age of 77 from pneumonia on June 2, was held on Friday afternoon at a Tokyo hotel. The ceremony was jointly hosted by the Japan Sport Association (JASA) and the JFA.

In the first part of the two-part ceremony, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, who serves as JFA Patron, German coach Dettmar Cramer, who helped Japan win a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympics, and JASA President and former Japan Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori attended, along with some 700 guests to bid farewell to Naganuma. The former Japan coach worked long and hard not only for Japanese football, but also for Japanese sports in general.

Shunichiro Okano, JFA Supreme Advisor and former President, said in a memorial address, "He was a rarity, and a man who was the embodiment of post-war Japanese football. We knew each other since playing against each other at high school in 1947. I am proud from the bottom of my heart that we worked together for 61 years."

After the ceremony, the JFA's new President, Motoaki Inukai, commented: "When I was Urawa Reds president, we would often watch the Reds games together as he was chief of Saitama Stadium. He would often tell me that I should let our team play good football. He said that in a soft manner, but I could feel his strong passion for the sport. I am now feeling a great responsibility as a successor of his at the JFA."

Japan coach Takeshi Okada said that when he paid his respects to Naganuma the day after the Oman game [June 3], "I promised him that we would qualify for the World Cup by any means."

Okada recalled the moment when he was appointed as Japan coach by then-JFA President Naganuma in 1997 during the World Cup qualifiers.

"He protected me, saying that he would take full responsibility, and I was moved with his strength and manly attitude. He always offered us support from behind, and I learned so many things from his way of life," Okada said.

Looking back, former JFA President Saburo Kawabuchi said, "He made a great contribution, and we can see that he did that with so many people who he had got to know and came today for him."

More than 300 members of the public also came to offer flowers in the second part of the ceremony.