TWO NEWS FROM JAPAN
Published by Okabe Hiroshi on 2022-04-17
Hello!
I have to send two sad news from Japan.
Mr. Yoshihiro Iio passed away April 10th 2022, due to canser. He was 67 years old.
- World Championship… Participated AT twice (2003 and 2007), got 3rd place in BT twice (2001 and 2011).
- Team World Championship… Participated 8 times!!, as a captain of Japanese team many times, got 2nd place in 2018 and 3rd place in 2014.
- Meijin-sen…Participated Meijin-sen tournament 18 times including January 2022, his best result was 2nd in 2003, only 0.5 point difference from the winner.
- Managerial positions…First vice-chairman of Japan Renju Federation, member of sports commission of Renju International Federation, and so on.
We pray his soul rest in peace.
Mr. Shigeru Nakamura won't join comming 59th Meijin-sen match due to illness. He also express he will join 60th Meijin-sen if he can recover, directors decided that he save personal place for 60th Meijin-sen touenament will be held on comming September.
59th Meijin-sen match will be played by 1st and 2nd places of 59th Meijin-sen tournament. 1st place was Mr. Tomoharu Nakayama by 8 points out of 9. Mr. Shunsuke Kamiya, Mr. Hiroki Nagasoe and me (Okabe) got 7 points. 1st round of play-off to decide 2nd place was already held in March 27th, I beat Nagasoe. 2nd round of play-off between Kamiya and me will be held on top of May, the winner will play Meijin-sen match against Nakayama, it will be started from end of May.
Friendly,
Hiroshi Okabe