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| Report of the Lot-Drawing Meeting |
The Ricoh Cup Professional Pair Go Championship 2009, the all star game in the Go world, has started earlier than last year. This year, the championship is celebrating its 15th year, and also it is the year that "the 1st World Mind Sports Games" which Go fans are looking forward to will be held. I will explain about this good news, later. First of all, I will tell you about the lottery to decide the pairings held at Hotel Edmont in Iidabashi, Tokyo on the 16th of September. |
At this championship, 32 male and female professionals were chosen based on the titles held and top prize ranking, the 16 pairs, who are gathered at once is literally, the highest level “Pair Go”. This year, too, we are expecting great games and several dramas but the first drama must be “the pairing”. The winner pair from last year, Chikun Honinbo the 25th and Narumi Osawa 3dan, remains the same, based on regulations. The rest of the pairings of the 15 pairs garnered great attention. This year’s lottery to decide the pairings was held 1 month earlier because the top professionals will participate in the “1st World Mind Sports Games” which is held in Beijing in October. |
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When female professionals, Kaori Chinen 4dan, Kana Mannami 4dan and Ayumi Suzuki 4dan arrived, the place was brightened up. Then, Rin Kono Tengen who came 2nd last year and seems replete, and Iso Ko 7dan, participating for the 2nd time, arrived with expression full of energy. From Osaka, Kazuko Konishi 8dan, and from Nagoya, Naoki Hane Honinbo who received the title of Honinbo by a stunt, 3 losses and 4 wins arrived and all the participants were gathered. The atmosphere was filled with the tension of waiting for the lottery to start and at the same time, it was also filled with calmness.
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At first, Mrs. Hiroko Taki, the trustee of the Japan Pair Go Association went up on the stage to make a speech.
Mrs. Taki said, "Mr. Matsuda, the president of the Japan Pair Go Association was supposed to make a speech but he is absent because of his business. With your permission, I would like to make the welcome speech. To be able to hold the 15th year of the professional Pair Go Championship, I am very thankful for all the support by the Ricoh company, the sponsor, Nihon Ki-in, Kansai Ki-in and more than 1000 fans which increases every year. Also, this year, "Pair Go" is approved as a game by IGF, the International Go Federation, we will participate in the "World Mind Sports Games". I am very happy and proud of that and at the same time, I thank you again for your support." |
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To explain more about the "1st World Mind Sports Games", it is not known well in Japan but instead of competing physically, "Mind Sports" is to compete intellectuality. In the events which International Olympic Committee approves, there are Olympics in summer and winter which are official games, including both physical sports and also mind sports like bridge and chess.
"The World Mind Sports Games" will be held from the 3rd to 18th of October, for 16 days, in Beijing, China. It is held at Beijing International Convention Center and National Conference Center where Olympics in August and Paralympics in September were held. The games are bridge, chess, checkers, xiangqi (Chinese chess) and Go. In the Go section, there are individual, team and "Pair Go" games. By the way, the representatives from Japan in professional Pair Go game are Kumiko Yashiro 5dan and Satoru Kobayashi 9dan pair and Kazuko Konishi 8dan and Toshiya Imamura 9dan pair.
Mrs. Taki made the audience excited when she said she hopes that Japanese pair will get the gold medal in Pair Go game. And she added her ambition, "I would like to popularize Go by Pair Go more and more."
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Then, Mr.Hiroshi Hamada, the supreme advisor of Ricoh Co.Ltd., which is the sponsor of this tournament and a head of tournament executive committee member, went up on the stage.
Mr.Hamada said, "I am honored and thankful to support this championship for a long time, for15 years. I would like to say 3 things and make a toast. I hope it will be an exciting pairing. Next, I hope the participants will be in their best condition on the days of their games. I hope games will be exciting that make fans happy. Then, one more thing, I hope for your good health. Cheers!" |
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| After Mr. Hamada made the toast, the lottery started. |
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