People : The ace member of the Waseda wrestling team!
Mr. Tsukasa Sato

Mr. Tsukasa Sato Born 1984 in Akita prefecture. Mr. Sato graduated from the Akita High School of Commerce. He is a third year student in the School of Sports Sciences. He belongs to professor Tsuneo Sogawa’s seminar. He was the college wrestling champion last year for the second year in a row, and placed third in the Emperor’s Cup national tournament.

His serious look during the match made me imagine a stoic personality. Surprisingly, when I met him, he impressed me as a wild and funny guy, and hard to pin down. He has been an elite wrestler since his elementary and junior high school days and is the holder of many titles. However, after he started high school, his performance hit a plateau for some reason. At that time, he met Mr. Takuya Ohta (the coach of the Waseda wrestling team) who had come to Akita as a coaching advisor, and eventually made up his mind to wrestle at Waseda University.

After he started college, Mr. Sato made a point of working harder than he had in his high school days. As a result, he overcame his slump and quickly became a steady winner, the ace member of the team. His dedication to training has led to his being regarded as “a demon for practice” by his teammates. He has a big enough presence to influence the mood of the whole team, with its 74-year history. He is right-handed, but because of the influence of his father, who is the coach of the wrestling team in his hometown, Akita, he is good at using the "leftward stance" and the "one-legged tackle", both of which pay off in matches. He uses his small build to advantage. He has a low stance and varies his timing. “While controlling the fundamentals, I want to try something new.” This is Mr. Sato’s attitude towards wrestling.

Right now, Mr. Sato's biggest goal is to compete in the Beijing Olympics. “I want to drive myself so much that I would think that it might be OK to quit if I made it to the Olympics.” Wrestling is the center of his life day in and day out, and he doesn’t have any second thoughts about that. When I asked whether he had a hobby, he didn't say anything for a moment because he couldn’t think of any. “Ah, I have a goldfish in my room,” he finally said with a smile. This charm is one of the things that makes him attractive.

“We tend to be good at things we like.” Mr. Sato keeps on improving his skills through his passion for wrestling. I’m looking forward to seeing his smile in the arenas to which he aspires.

The Waseda wrestling team has added women members lately. It’s now in a time of transition. Members who are enjoying their youth are waiting there!!