Shunichiro Okano facts for kids
Okano in 1953
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shunichiro Okano | ||
| Date of birth | August 28, 1931 | ||
| Place of birth | Taito, Tokyo, Empire of Japan | ||
| Date of death | February 2, 2017 (aged 85) | ||
| Place of death | Tokyo, Japan | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1947–1949 | Koishikawa Secondary Education School | ||
| 1950–1957 | University of Tokyo | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1955 | Japan | 2 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1961 | Japan U-20 | ||
| 1970–1971 | Japan | ||
| † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Shunichiro Okano (岡野 俊一郎, Okano Shunichiro, 28 August 1931 – 2 February 2017) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team. He also managed Japan's national team.
Contents
About Shunichiro Okano
Shunichiro Okano was a very important person in Japanese sports. He was a football player and coach. He also held big roles in sports organizations.
He coached the Japan national team from 1961 to 1971. He became the main manager for the 1970-1971 season. Later, he was the president of the Japan Football Association (JFA) from 1998 to 2002.
Okano was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He joined in 1990 and became an honorary member in 2012. This means he helped guide the Olympic Games.
His Football Playing Days
Okano was born in Taito, Tokyo on August 28, 1931. His family owned a famous candy shop in Tokyo. During World War II, his family moved to a safer place. But Okano stayed in Tokyo for high school.
In 1949, he started studying at the University of Tokyo. He joined the university's football club. In 1953, his team won the first national university football championships. This was a big win!
In 1955, he was chosen to play for the Japan national team. He played two games for Japan in that year.
His Coaching Career
After graduating from university in 1957, Okano went to West Germany. He spent three months there learning to be a football coach. When he came back to Japan in 1961, he became a coach for the Japan national team. He worked under the manager Ken Naganuma. He also helped as an interpreter for a German coach named Dettmar Cramer.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics, the Japanese team won bronze medals. This was a huge achievement for Japanese football! In 2018, this team was honored in the Japan Football Hall of Fame.
In 1970, Okano became the main manager of the national team. He led the team at the 1970 Asian Games. However, in 1971, Japan did not qualify for the 1972 Summer Olympics. After this, Okano decided to step down as manager.
Life After Coaching
After his coaching days, Okano continued to work in sports. In 1974, he joined the Japan Football Association (JFA). He also became a leader in the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). He helped organize many sports events.
He became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1990. He also served as the 9th president of the JFA from 1998 to 2002. He was also the first president of the East Asian Football Federation from 2004 to 2006.
In 2005, Okano was chosen for the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This honor recognized his great contributions to football.
Shunichiro Okano passed away on February 2, 2017, in a Tokyo hospital. He was 85 years old.
National Team Games
Here's a quick look at his games for the national team:
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Games Played | Goals Scored |
| 1955 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |
Awards and Honors
Shunichiro Okano received many awards for his work:
- Blue Ribbon Medal of Honour (1990)
- IOC Silver Pin (1998)
- Blue Dragon Award (South Korea) (2003)
- The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (2004)
- Japan Football Hall of Fame (2005)
- Honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (2012 - 2017)
See also
In Spanish: Shunichiro Okano para niños
