Kenta Tanaka (30) Japanese field hockey star has joined Hoofdklasse (premier league) field hockey club HGC The Hague/Wassenaar (founded 1906) as of this season. Kenta is a big name in the Asian field hockey world. Recently the Japanese field hockey team has won gold at the Asian Games. Kenta, a striker, played a major role in achieving that success.
Whilst touring Europe for test matches last Summer, the Japanese team also played against HGC ‘s 1st Men’s team. The coach of the Japanese national field hockey team, Siegfried Aikman, was aware of the fact that Paul van Ass, HGC’s coach (former coach of the Dutch national team), considered Kenta a very talented player already in 2015. Aikman suggested that Kenta could play at HGC and Paul invited Kenta to join HGC.
HGC’s 1st Men’s team plays Hoofdklasse since the start of this league in the Netherlands in 1973. HGC won its last national championship in 1996. The team has reached the play-offs for the national title many times since. In 2008 HGC became 2nd in the Euro Hockey League (EHL). In 2011 HGC won the EHL Cup. The team’s objective is to reach the play-offs for the national championship.
It is therefore necessary to have a top notch selection of players. Kenta Tanaka fits in perfectly. He is quick, skilful, tactically strong and a player who takes on responsibility. Kenta made a courageous decision when he joined HGC. He resigned from his job and left his girlfriend behind in Japan. A big change! Kenta’s open-mindedness, drive and hockey skills help him to blend into the team smoothly. And yes, Google-translate can be practical at times.
HGC is proud to have Kenta Tanaka, who is a great promoter for both top field hockey and Japan.
Meanwhile Kenta has paid a visit to H.E. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador of Japan in the Netherlands, who already had seen Kenta and the Japan team play at HGC last Summer. The Ambassador has promised to watch a match of Kenta and his team at HGC soon. We hope many Japanese living in the Netherlands will do the same.
Ganbatte Kenta!