ICU graduate Ryo Kinami received award for participating in the Intercity Baseball Tournament for 10 consecutive years

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the 95th Intercity Baseball Tournament held at Tokyo Dome (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo), Nippon Express player Ryo Kinami (graduated from Faculty of Medical Technology in 2014) was recognized for participating for 10 consecutive years. This tournament is a historic amateur baseball tournament that has been held since 1927, and is said to be the highest level of amateur baseball in Japan, with 32 teams from around the country who have won preliminary rounds competing in a tournament to win the championship.

Since his first year at Nippon Express, Kinami has participated in the Intercity Baseball Tournament with his team, and from his second year he has been a regular player playing as a catcher. He is also a representative player of amateur baseball, having represented Japan in the 18th and 19th Asian Games. Upon receiving the award for his 10th consecutive year of participation, Kinami shared his thoughts on the past 10 years, the characteristics of amateur baseball, and a message to his juniors in the hardball baseball club.
We appreciate your continued support as Kinami continues to play in professional baseball after graduation.

Comment from Ryo Kinami

The regret of barely being able to play in any official games in my first year as a member of society was a major driving force that allowed me to continue for 10 years. I think that the emotions, actions, and determination I faced during that time, and the dedication I had to baseball, have led me to where I am today. Analyzing myself and considering the situation around me, I learned how to improve my abilities to the required level in order to achieve my ideal image. It was also a time when I was able to experience the importance of thinking about problems on my own and continuing to work on them.

Amateur baseball is a tournament where you lose and it's all over, so it's exciting to watch. Each company has their own unique way of cheering, and recently the music used in amateur baseball has even been used at Koshien High School Baseball Stadium.

I'm very happy when my alma mater wins. I also had the opportunity to go and watch the All Japan University Baseball Championship the other day. The players fighting on the field and the people cheering in the stands were very inspiring.
I think being a student is an opportunity to spend time on things that interest you, including baseball, so I encourage you to keep challenging yourself.

Ryo Kinami's Instagram can be found here
For more information about the Nippon Express baseball team, click here
Teikyo University Baseball Club original website

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