Elite male participants racing through the city of Yokohama at 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series Yokohama on September 29, 2012

The end of 2012 is drawing near. How have you spent this year? The Japanese sporting world got really pumped up this year partly because of the 2012 Olympic Games. We had a lot of exciting moments here in Yokohama, too, thanks to the professional and amateur athletes who participated in the sports events that took place in the city. In this issue of Sports Yokohama, we will highlight some of those events, with an array of photos, to look back on what 2012 has brought for us and carry this momentum into 2013.

Information provided by : Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Yokohama F-Marinos, Yokohama FC, Yokohama B-Corsairs, Japan GoalBall Association, Yokohama College of Art and Design, Federation Japonaise d’Escrime, Keio University

 

In 2012, we had a number of sports events in Yokohama, including high-class races attended by top athletes and various tournaments competed at both international and local levels. Here is a summary of what happened in the sporting community of Yokohama this year, along with photos of the related events (as of November 9).

2012

January

– Spring Meet of Athletes in Yokohama

January Spring Meet of Athletes in Yokohama

“Yokohama Sports Awards” were given to people who had significantly contributed to the promotion of physical exercise and sports and athletes who had achieved remarkable results in tournaments and competitions in fiscal 2011.

February

– Nissan Stadium Marathon Relay Race

February Nissan Stadium Marathon Relay Race
The race featured a course starting at Nissan Stadium and finishing at Shin-Yokohama Park and was attended by a total of over 4,000 runners of 1,019 groups of different categories.

March

– Yokohama City Walk
– The professional baseball team Yokohama DeNA BayStars , the J1 League club Yokohama F-Marinos and J2 League club Yokohama FC play the first matches of the season

April

– Empress Cup All Japan Women’s Judo Championships

– Yokohama Recreation Association merges with Yokohama Sports Association

May

– FANCL Fitness Yokohama

May FANCL Fitness Yokohama
One of the most famous amateur dancing events in Japan, presentations and contests were held at Pacifico Yokohama, covering a wide range of dancing genres such as hip-hop, jazz dance and hula dance.

– Yokohama World Walk

– Yokohama B-Corsairs, a newcomer to the bj League, finishes third in the playoffs (see page 7)

June

– Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium holds an event to mark its 50th anniversary

July

– Event to mark the 10th anniversary of co-hosting 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan

– Yokohama Seaside Triathlon

– Yokohama Beach Sports Festa

July Yokohama Beach Sports Festa
The event, one of the popular summer attractions in Yokohama, was held at the Marine Park of Yokohama and featured hot competitions of five kinds of sports – volleyball, soccer, hand ball, tennis and tug of war.

August

– All Japan Junior Gymnastics Championships

– Athletes associated with Yokohama receive Yokohama Sports Honor Awards for their excellent performances at the London Olympics

September

– Nissan Cycle Park Festival

– ITU World Triathlon Series Yokohama

September ITU World Triathlon Series Yokohama
The international event took place near Yamashita Park, with its course including some of Yokohama’s sightseeing spots, and spectators enjoyed the powerful race attended by top athletes including Olympic medalists.

October

– Yokohama Sports Recreation Festival

October Yokohama Sports Recreation Festival
Sports events for all age groups, from kids to adults, were held at sporting facilities across the city of Yokohama, with the main venue being Shin-Yokohama Park.

– The bj League team Yokohama B-Corsairs plays the first match of the season

November

– Yokohama Women’s Marathon

December

– Yokohama Marathon

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