JFA consists a total of 20 committees, each specialising in their own expertise. In concurrence with the reappointment of President TASHIMA Kohzo on 29 March, the head of each committee was named under the new regime. Starting from 11 May, we have been introducing the roles of each committee, along with a message from the chairperson. Today we will introduce the Organising Committee for the National Sports Festival.

As its name suggests, the Organising Committee for the National Sports Festival coordinates with local authorities and FAs of the host prefecture to organise the football competitions for the National Sports Festival. In the recent years, the committee has been working closely with the Competitions Committee to establish new tournaments for the youth category and putting the efforts to improve the game environments for the developing category.

Message from Organising Committee for the National Sports Festival Chairman UEDA Masatoshi (reappointed)

Since being named into the JFA Executive Committee in 2006, I have been appointed as chairperson of several expert committees, including this Organising Committee for the National Sports Festival. I have learned in first-hand, the issues the 47 prefectural FAs and JFA are facing, and I have worked tirelessly to improve those issues.

As chairperson of the Organising Committee for the National Sports Festival, one of my main missions is to implement the U-16 category into the competition starting from 2022. We are hoping to stimulate and popularise women’s football at each prefecture, especially for the junior high school category.

Also, with the foreseeable super-aging society, we must find ways to extend our healthy lifespan. The number of senior players is growing each year, and we hope to create more opportunities for them to interact with younger generations.

By listening to the voices of our football family, I will give my utmost efforts to solve each of the issues we are facing. Let’s work together to raise the overall level of Japanese football.