Hiroshi Kagawa facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 December 1924 | ||
| Place of birth | Kobe, Hyogo, Empire of Japan | ||
| Date of death | 5 December 2024 (aged 99) | ||
| Place of death | Kobe, Japan | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Kobe University of Commerce | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Osaka SC | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Hiroshi Kagawa (born December 29, 1924 – died December 5, 2024) was a famous Japanese football player and later a well-known journalist. He spent his life deeply involved in the world of football. His brother, Taro Kagawa, was also a footballer.
Playing Football
Hiroshi Kagawa was born in Kobe, Japan, in 1924. After finishing his studies at Kobe University of Commerce, he became a football player. He played as a forward for a team called Osaka SC. A forward is a player who tries to score goals.
In 1952, his team, Osaka SC, did very well in a big competition called the Emperor's Cup. They finished in second place! Some of his teammates were Taro Kagawa (who was also his brother), Taizo Kawamoto, and Toshio Iwatani.
Becoming a Journalist
Kagawa started his career as a journalist in 1951. A journalist is someone who collects and writes news for newspapers, magazines, or TV. In 1952, he began working for a newspaper called Sankei Shimbun.
He also became the editor of Sankei Sports, which is a sports newspaper, from 1974 to 1984. An editor decides what goes into the newspaper. In 1990, he retired from his full-time job and became a freelance journalist. This means he worked for himself and could write for different places.
Covering World Cups
Hiroshi Kagawa loved football so much that he covered ten World Cups during his career! He traveled around the world to report on these huge football tournaments.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, he was 89 years old. This made him the oldest media person working at that World Cup! It shows how dedicated he was to his job.
Special Awards
Kagawa also helped create the Japan Soccer Archive with the Japan Football Museum starting in 2007. This project helps keep the history of Japanese football alive.
In 2010, he was chosen to be part of the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This is a very special honor for people who have made a big difference in Japanese football.
On January 12, 2015, he received the FIFA Presidential Award. This award was given to him by Sepp Blatter, who was the president of FIFA at the time. It was a recognition of his amazing contributions to football journalism.
Honours
- Japan Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2010
