Japan’s Olympic silver medallist, coach inspire young athletes in Pakse
Japan’s Olympic silver medallist sprinter Shota Iizuka and his coach, Yasuhiro Toyoda, conducted athletics coaching sessions and relay activities for school students in Pakse of Southern Champassak province earlier this month, as part of efforts to promote grassroots sports development and people-to-people exchange.
Mr Iizuka, a member of Japan’s men’s 4×100-metre relay team that won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, visited Laos from November 30 to December 4, 2025, accompanied by Mr Toyoda, a coach from Chuo University.
During the visit, Mr Iizuka worked closely with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Overseas Cooperation Volunteer Yuto Kirihara, who is assigned to support athletics activities at Pakse Athletics Stadium.
Together, they organised a relay competition and conducted coaching sessions for lower and upper secondary students at Khuataphan Secondary School.
The sessions focused on fundamental sprinting techniques, teamwork and relay skills, giving students a rare opportunity to learn directly from an Olympic-level athlete and an experienced university coach.
In support of local sports development, Mizuno Corporation, with which Mr Iizuka is associated, donated 76 pairs of athletics spikes and six relay batons to the Champassak Provincial Department of Education and Sports. The donated equipment will be loaned to students in need and used on an ongoing basis to support sustainable athletics training in the province.
The activities provided an opportunity for students to experience the enjoyment of athletics while fostering mutual understanding and friendship through sport. The initiative also highlighted the role of international cooperation in strengthening grassroots sports development within local communities.
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