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Focusing on Sports |
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In future the young people who graduate from the Foundation schools
will become engineers. A healthy body and sound mind are the prerequisites for
producing good results and rational ideas on a daily basis. With this notion in
mind, the Foundation contended that not only rigorous study was necessary for
education and introduced a regular sports program into the curriculum. The founding
of the table tennis club in 1930 ushered in the establishment of various clubs
and countless accomplishments have followed. |
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Former Chairman Koji Goto's and Chairman Atsushi
Goto's Contributions to Sports |
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The history of "the Foundation's active participation
in sports" leading up to the present began with the late Chairman Koji Goto's
passion for sports and Chairman Atsushi Goto's continuing
interest. A brief overview of both Chairmen's contributions follows: |
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| Participated, as Athlete Leader, in the Table Tennis World
Championships held in Munich. (1969) |
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With Premier Chou En Lai at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing.
(January 1971) |
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At a time when no official exchange was taking place,
invitations were extended to the Chinese team, the world's number one, to participate
in the 31st World Table Tennis Championship scheduled to take place in Nagoya.
This led to renewed relations between the United States and China, President Nixon's
historical visit to China, and normalization of Japanese - Chinese relationships.
The term 'Ping Pong diplomacy' coined at that time is still in use today. |
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Chairman Koji Goto's Contributions |
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From the inauguration of the Japan Table
Tennis Association in 1923 till 1963, President Goto held many of the various
important posts in the National Table Tennis Federation. |
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President Goto was vice-president of the Nagoya City
Amateur Sports Association from 1947 till 1972 and held various important posts
in the Nagoya and Aichi Prefectural Amateur Sports Associations. |
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President Goto was team manager for the Japan Table
Tennis delegation to the World Table Tennis Championships in 1954, and served
for several years as manager for the team. |
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From 1962 till 1972 President Goto served as manager
for the Aichi Prefectural Table Tennis delegation to the National Sports Festival. |
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Current Chairman Atsushi Goto's Contributions |
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President Goto served in important posts
in the All Japan High School Athletic Federation's Table Tennis Association from
1959 till 2001 and held many important posts in connection with the Japan Table
Tennis Association. |
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President Goto has served from 1976 till
the present in various important posts related to Aichi Prefectural and Nagoya
City Agency for the Advancement of Sports. |
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President Goto served as the President
of the Asian Table Tennis Union from 1976 till 2001. |
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President Goto served as Deputy President
of the International Table Tennis Federation from 1995 till 1999. |
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President Goto was made Honorary Life President of
the Asian Table Tennis Union in 2001. |
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President Goto was made Special Adviser to the Nagoya
City Amateur Sports Association, and Honorary Adviser to the Japan Table Tennis
Association in 2002. |
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