Visiting India as part of Japan-India sports exchange programme, Olympics bronze medalists Misato Nakamura and Masashi Nishiyama on Saturday expressed hope that their sport could become more popular in India.
"This time we were here for a very short period of time but even then we could sense the passion and dynamism for Judo and a great deal of interest. So we think there is great potential for India to get better and we look forward to welcoming them on the mat with us," Nakamura told media persons after an event that took place at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium here to commemorate the exchange programme.
Her compatriot Nishiyama also expressed similar sentiments and said that growth of Judo is not dependant on building large infrastructure.
"Today we came here for the demonstration but we have also been interacting with sportspersons and authorities. People think that you need a lot of infrastructure and other things to get Judo going. But the most important part of Judo is the kit (uniform for Judo), as long as you have that, anybody can take up the sport and you don't need very expensive tools," the london Olympics bronze medalist opined.
Nishiyama, who along with other Judokas from Japan, interacted with Indian aspiring athletes and provided some training to them, also said that while he cannot make an assessment about the quality of Indian Judokas, he feels there is possibility of great improvement.
"We haven't yet competed against Indian Judokas. So we cannot say anything about their level until we fight them directly. However, they were asking very good questions and there was a lot of interest. So, I feel if there is effort made, then they can catch up very quickly.
"As long as efforts are made I think there is a possibility of India achieving success in the sport. Japan is considered a strong country in Judo but that does not mean there cannot be other countries that can also compete," he added.
To a lay person, Judo seems quite similar to wrestling, a sport which has deep roots in India. On being asked whether the two sports have a lot in common, Nishiyama pointed out the affinities between them: "Two very important parts of Judo are gripping and holding the opponent down. Both these aspects are similar in both sports. My personal wish is that Japanese sport will become more popular in India but whatever sport may be, wrestlers can also give their hand to Judo and it would be nice to have more Judo people have more interest in wrestling."
The Judokas presented a demonstration of the sport in front of the audience and special guests which included union minister for sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and the Japanese ambassador to India Kengi Hiramitsu.
Nakamura, as part of the demonstration, took down Nishiyama on several occasions as the audience cheered loudly. When asked whether Judo can act as an useful technique of self-defence for women, Nishiyama referred to their contest earlier.
"You saw how I lost to her earlier. That is enough proof that all ladies should learn Judo. It's a wonderful way to defend yourself and protect yourself and it's a very good thing that the Indian government is promoting it as a form of self-defence," a smiling Nishiyama concluded by saying.