TOKYO - Japanese Olympic silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi led Egypt's national team as head coach at the judo world championships in Baku earlier this month.
"Athletes who could not win before are now able to win. Coaching has its challenges, but it is also rewarding," said Izumi, 44, who won a silver medal in the men's 90-kilogram class at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Of the three athletes Izumi coached in Baku, Safa Soliman made a strong showing against Japan's Mao Arai in the women's over 78-kg division, taking the round-of-16 bout into golden score before eventually losing by waza-ari. Arai finished seventh.
Facing Japanese opponents carries special significance for Izumi. "I turn over each card in my coaching playbook and check every day whether it is right or wrong," he said. "One indication that I'm on the right track is beating Japanese athletes."
After retiring from judo, Izumi moved into mixed martial arts. He later worked at a fish wholesale company, spending his days at a market while seeking opportunities to pursue a coaching career abroad.
The first offer came from Egypt, where he won his first world championships title in Cairo in 2005. He now coaches around 40 male and female athletes.
Some athletes make excuses, saying they lost because they lacked God's support. But Izumi patiently passes on techniques by training alongside them. "You have to teach with passion. After all, the goal is to win medals at the Olympics and world championships," he said.
