Tsunekazu Takeda facts for kids
Tsunekazu Takeda in the Tokyo 1964 Summer Olympics
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | November 1, 1947 Tokyo, Japan |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 60 kg (130 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Show jumping |
Tsunekazu Takeda (竹田 恆和, Takeda Tsunekazu, born November 1, 1947) is a Japanese businessman and a former Olympic equestrian. He used to be the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee. He also served as a member of the International Olympic Committee. He stepped down from these roles in March 2019.
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Early Life and Family Connections
Tsunekazu Takeda was born on November 1, 1947, in Tokyo, Japan. He comes from a very important family. He is the third son of Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda. This means he is also the great-grandson of Emperor Meiji, a famous emperor of Japan.
Takeda and his son, Tsuneyasu Takeda, both went to Keio University. Later, they both taught at the same university.
Olympic Journey and Equestrian Career
Takeda has always loved horse riding. He was a very skilled show jumper. He even competed in the Olympic Games twice!
Competing in the Olympics
Takeda represented Japan in show jumping at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. His team finished in 16th place in 1972 and 13th place in 1976. It's a big achievement to compete at such a high level!
Coaching and Leadership Roles
After his time as an Olympic athlete, Takeda continued to be involved in the equestrian world. He became a coach for the Japanese equestrian team. He coached them at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics.
He also took on bigger leadership roles. He was the Chef de Mission for Japan at the 2002 and 2004 Olympic Games. This role means he was the head of the entire Japanese team.
Leadership in Sports Organizations
Takeda has held many important positions in sports organizations around the world.
Japanese Olympic Committee
In 1987, Takeda joined the Japanese Olympic Committee. He worked his way up and became its president in October 2001. He led the committee for many years.
International Sports Roles
Takeda was also a vice-president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) from 1998 to 2002. Later, he was made an Honorary Vice-president.
He helped organize the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He was the sports director for that event.
Takeda was also elected as a vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia twice. This happened in 2001 and again in 2011.
As a member of the International Olympic Committee, Takeda helped prepare for several Winter Olympics. He worked on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Winter Games.
Stepping Down from Roles
On March 19, 2019, Takeda announced that he would step down from his leadership roles. He left his position as President of the Japanese Olympic Committee. He also resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee. His term officially ended on June 27, 2019.
