Okinawa Prefectural Rugby Football Association Appoints New Leadership, Eyes 2034 National Sports Festival
Naha, Okinawa – The Okinawa Prefectural rugby Football Association has finalized its executive structure for 2025, ushering in a new era with Yasumura Mitsushige, 58, as the new Chairman and Hedona Saitomo, 53, taking the helm as Chairman of the Board. This leadership transition comes with a strategic focus on promoting and developing rugby within the prefecture and enhancing competitive capabilities, with a particular eye on the 2034 National Sports Festival (Kuni Sport) to be hosted in Okinawa.
The association has reappointed Vice-Presidents Kitaoka Tetsuji and Wada Ju, along with General Secretary Higa Yoshito. Miyagi Tsuyoshi,48,has been appointed as the new vice-President,succeeding former chairman Miyagi Hiroshi,who has stepped down. The new executive team visited Ryukyu Shimposha on the 28th to announce their appointments.Yasumura, who previously served as chairman of the board for nine years and as head of the association, acknowledged financial challenges. “Finance is also a challenge to divert budgets to measures to promote and strengthen competitions,” he stated. “Registration fees for athletes are the main focus of the associationS management, but we would like to study cases from other prefectures where corporate sponsors and individuals are generously supported.”
Hedona,the new Chairman of the Board,brings a wealth of coaching experience to his role. Currently the coach of the koza High School Rugby club, he has a proven track record of developing talented players, including those who have competed at the prestigious Hanazono tournament. His previous tenure at Miyako High School, starting in 2005, saw him instrumental in building the team from its inception into a formidable contender. “Increasing the number of competitive people will lead to an increase in competitive abilities,” Hedona remarked. “It seems like a sport with a strong sense of camaraderie, and executives will work closely together towards the national sports,” he added, expressing his commitment to the sport’s growth.
