Japanese coaches build bridges through sport at Asian Games

Japanese coaches will be working with other national teams at this autumn’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, helping athletes pursue their goals while serving as a bridge between the host country and its regional neighbours.

Masato Ogiwara is head coach of Cambodia’s soft tennis national team, while Shin Nakayama coaches Thailand’s baseball team.

A former competitive soft tennis player at national level, Ogiwara first visited Cambodia in 2013 for business and later quit his job to go into coaching.

His dedication to developing the sport in Cambodia, including coaching children who could not attend school, led to him being invited to join the national team’s staff.

He tailors his coaching style to what he sees as a common trait among Cambodian people.

“They are used to being supported. I try to make them realise they cannot learn unless they take initiative,” the 36-year-old said.

Promoting the Japan-born sport in Cambodia, Ogiwara sees the Asian Games, to be hosted by his home country for the first time in 32 years, as the culmination of his work as a national team coach. He said: “I want to aim for a medal.”

Meanwhile, Nakayama previously worked as a high school teacher in his home prefecture of Okinawa before going to Thailand in 2024 with the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s overseas volunteer programme.

Even though his term ended in May, he was hired by the South-east Asian nation’s baseball association.

He said: “I have been given experiences I could not have had if I had stayed in Japan.”

Nakayama, 32, initially struggled with the language barrier but became proficient in Thai.

“I want to convey the appeal of baseball to children,” he added.

Many of the players he coaches hold jobs such as civil servants and teachers, and the team finished runner-up at the South-east Asian Games in December 2025.

But Nakayama said the squad are not yet at the level of high school teams that compete in Japan’s national tournaments. KYODO NEWS