Japanese volunteers give boost to Lao sports development

Two Japanese volunteers who used their coaching skills to support Lao athletes’ participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games amid the Covid-19 pandemic are saying a fond farewell to Laos, with departure set for March 30.

JOCV volunteers pay a farewell online courtesy visit to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Department of International Cooperation Deputy Director General, Mrs Saymonekham Mangnomek.

Ms Eri Nakatani volunteered as a swimming coach with the Lao Swimming Federation in Vientiane, while Mr Yohei Takimoto volunteered as a judo coach supporting the Lao Judo Federation, also in the capital. The pair have bid farewell to their respective host organisations and have received appreciation for their contributions to development cooperation between Japan and Laos.
The departing volunteers were joined by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Laos Office senior representative Mr Yasuyuki Sato in an online farewell courtesy call to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Department of International Cooperation, Deputy Director General Mrs Saymonekham Mangnomek on March 30.
She thanked the volunteers for their strong commitment to Laos amid the various challenges of the global pandemic and amid local outbreaks. She said that while it was challenging to undertake their volunteering during the evolving Covid-19 pandemic, the volunteers were able to return to Laos after a temporary repatriation to Japan and had continued to assist in international development cooperation.
Mrs Saymonekham also thanked the government of Japan and JICA for their strong ongoing commitment to supporting development in Laos.
Speaking on behalf of JICA, Mr Sato expressed great appreciation to the government and people of Laos for warmly welcoming the volunteers.
The departing volunteers also expressed confidence in the ongoing efforts towards capacity development at their host organisation, namely the Department of Elite Sports of the Ministry of Education and Sports. The volunteers returned to Japan in March 2020 amid the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic and returned to Laos in August 2021.
Ms Nakatani helped organise coaching activities with her counterparts and Lao swimmers, mainly focusing on training representative athletes who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games held in 2021.
Ms Nakatani said that while the pandemic had altered her plans for the role, she hoped she could help young athletes understand that many achievements can be attained through commitment to practice.
She saw growth in skills and the athletes’ personal qualities through their efforts in and out of the swimming pool. She looks forward to seeing them grow further as competitors in the future.
Meanwhile, Mr Takimoto trained the Lao judo team. He taught judo to all ages, from children to adults. Lao judokas won two silver medals and one bronze medal at the SEA Games under his guidance and also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Amid the pandemic related restrictions, he helped athletes by training them in judo remotely online to help them continue to improve skills. Unfortunately, during his tenure, the pandemic interfered with regional and international tournaments, reducing Lao athletes’ opportunities to learn via competition. He thanked the many counterparts and the Lao people who were always so kind and always helped him if he had any trouble.
JICA supports Laos’ socio-economic and human resource development by dispatching junior and senior volunteers via the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) Programme.
More than 1,041 volunteers have been dispatched via official development assistance from Japan since 1965.
Together with the Lao government and its international partners, JICA and the government of Japan continue to pay close attention to strengthening the capacity of Laos to address its socio-economic development needs.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update March 31, 2022)