More than two dozen kids showed up when Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya held a series of clinics for young kids last week at the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines Developmental Gym inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
The children, aged 12 and below, did routines which Kugimiya, who was behind Filipino world champion gymnast Carlos “Caloy” Yulo’s success, asked them to do during the day.
Kugimiya is now looking for the next young gymnast to develop, train and possibly send to Japan to compete and prepare for international meets in the future.
Kugimiya’s ward, Yulo, has been under his care since 2016.
Early this year, however, Kugimiya and Yulo went separate ways, but the Japanese stayed on as the Philippine national team head coach.
“I’m just focused on drills and letting the kids enjoy,” said Kugimiya during an afternoon break, three days before he returned to Tokyo.
Kugimiya’s classes were part of the Japanese Embassy’s Cultural Grassroots Project’s gymnastics course, which was launched last September.
With Yulo no longer under his care, Kugimiya is upbeat that he will find great talent among the kids who showed during the week.
“New talent is coming. We will just provide them with the environment,” added Kugimiya.
The 38-year-old Kugimiya believes that goal of the project to give both aspiring and already polished gymnasts a means to avail of a world-class facility is now possible, with the Japanese having donated equipment, which were used in the Tokyo Olympics, already available.
Kugimiya and officials of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines said they can do this with a good training program at a very minimal fee.
The Japanese embassy, with Kugimiya’s assistance, has provided millions of pesos worth of Olympic-standard equipment, which have been distributed between the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and at the new facilities at Intramuros, Manila.
The KG Management Team of Jun Esturco is helping Kugimiya achieve the goal of providing a place for promising gymnasts to train.
