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 and 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 a great-grandson of Emperor Meiji, a famous emperor of Japan.
Takeda studied at Keio University, a well-known university in Japan. Later, he also taught there. His son, Takeda Tsuneyasu, also studied and taught at Keio University.
Olympic Journey and Sports Leadership
Takeda has loved horse riding his whole life. He was a talented show jumper. He competed for Japan in the Olympic Games twice.
- He rode in the 1972 Olympics.
- He also rode in the 1976 Olympics.
After his time as an athlete, Takeda continued to be involved in the Olympics. He became a coach for the Japanese equestrian team. He coached them at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics. He also served as the Chef de Mission for Japan at the 2002 and 2004 Games. A Chef de Mission is like the leader of the entire Olympic team from a country.
Roles in Sports Organizations
Takeda joined the Japanese Olympic Committee in 1987. He became its president in October 2001. This is a very important role in Japanese sports.
He also worked with international sports groups:
- He was a vice-president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) from 1998 to 2002.
- He later became an Honorary Vice-president of the FEI.
- Takeda helped organize the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He was the sports director for that event.
- He was elected vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia twice, in 2001 and 2011.
- As a member of the International Olympic Committee, he helped prepare for the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Stepping Down from Leadership
In December 2018, questions were raised about how Tokyo was chosen to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. These questions were about events that happened in 2013. Takeda denied any wrongdoing.
To protect the good name of the Olympic movement, Takeda announced his decision. On March 19, 2019, he said he would step down. He left his role as President of the Japanese Olympic Committee. He also left his position as a member of the International Olympic Committee. His term officially ended on June 27, 2019.
Images for kids
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Tsunekazu Takeda in the Tokyo 1964 Summer Olympics
