fbpx

Hugh Watanabe: Hawaiian volleyball player now in the Japanese Olympic Basketball team

Jul 30 2021 Share

Ever since Hugh was a star athlete in high school, his dream was to someday be an Olympian. His dream did eventually come through but not in the way he would have imagined. His story to Olympics stardom was long and contains the hit show ‘Family Feud’, an email sent to the Japanese Basketball Association and two false positive covid-19 tests.

On a normal Japanese night in 1985, a Japanese family, including Sanae Watanabe, won a free trip to Hawaii after beating another family in the Japanese version of ‘Family Feud’. This trip would change Sanae’s life upside down as in Hawaii she happens to meet Matt Hogland. The two start dating and eventually tying the knot. The couple had two children, naming their first born son Hugh.

Hugh grew up, and it was decided that instead of being an American citizen only, he would have dual citizenship and have a Japanese passport too. In high school Hugh excelled in many sports, most notably Basketball and Volleyball.  He was even chosen for the USA youth Volleyball squads. He always thought that his way to the Olympics would be by representing USA in Volleyball but that changed when a Basketball coach from the University of California offered him a scholarship. He immediately accepted it but once he arrived, he got to know that the coach who had scouted him was fired and that he wouldn’t be getting a scholarship.

 

Before her son left for USA, Sanae, knowing her son’s dreams of competing in the Olympics, sent an e-mail to the technical director of the Japanese Basketball Association. They kept their eyes on Hugh. Hugh eventually found out after a teammate of his told him that a Japanese man was scouting him.  At this point after not getting his scholarship, he signed for the University of Portland. His stint there wasn’t long and he instead started focusing on his business degree. In January 2020, months before the originally planned  Tokyo Olympics, he started training again. When he heard the news of the postponement he was elated as it meant more time for him to train.  With limited time left until the Olympics, he moved to Japan and joined B-League team Ryukyu Golden Kings. His regular playing time, matched with his skill, earned him a spot on the Japanese Olympic Team. When he thought he finally achieved his goal, he had to endure a covid-19 scare. He had to take his tests again but after a week of waiting it was announced that his tests were false negatives.

Japan and Hugh have played 2 games and lost both but Hugh will still be happy just being selected after all the obstacles he had to pass from. His story is proof that when you’re working hard and you believe in yourself anything is possible

#MaltaDaily

Airport traffic hints at summer recovery for Malta’s tourism

Airport traffic hints at summer recovery for Malta’s tourism
Jul 30 2021 Share

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on tourism was undoubtedly a hard hit for that same sector alongside the economy. The first four months of 2021 at the Malta International Airport ranked total traffic comparable to only a single average week in the same time period back in 2019. With strict travel restrictions due to the pandemic, May started to show the first recovery signs, with airlines commencing their summer operations. Important markets in France and Spain resumed, as June saw a total of 190,505 passengers travelling through the airport. 

This is a significant 153% increased when compared to May, with MIA head of traffic development Alex Cardona commenting how the positive trend continued throughout June and July. The easing of restrictions led to the release of a pent-up demand for air travel. The quarantine requirement for unvaccinated travellers however health an unprecedented blow to the local tourism industry’s performance. 

Cardona went on to highlight the return of several airlines and the upcoming cruise and fly operation initiative which will encourage votes of confidence in Malta. MIA CEO Alan Borg pointed out how the current travel restrictions ‘are not positioning the island as an easy destination of choice with travellers looking to book a Mediterranean holiday.’ 

Borg stated that despite the ‘fast-changing aviation landscape’, MIA is determined to continue working towards a sustainable recovery. 

#MaltaDaily

Local & international sports competitions hang in the balance due to pandemic uncertainty

Jul 30 2021 Share

With the last quarter of the year approaching soon, the fate of a considerable number of sports events hangs in the balance.

The likes of which include top global brands in Obstacle Course Racing such as Tough Mudder and Spartan Race, who are reportedly waiting for a clear direction on whether or not their events can take place due to current measures and restrictions making it very hard for events of this nature to be financially viable.

Other major events like Hold the Fort also remain in limbo on whether their 2021 edition will be held due to Malta’s current sporting guidelines, which were last updated in May 2021. Some have argued that the current measures and sporting guidelines are not so practical and sustainable for the hosting of such events and have even stated that one cannot get the ‘full experience’ of under these regulations.

Malta also serves as a major player in the progression of such events, with the country hosting a key qualifier event from Spartan Race’s World Championship event in Abu Dhabi.

Competitors and stakeholders in such events have expressed their perplexity at such uncertainty, with Malta boasting one of the most impressive vaccination rates in the world; potentially a deciding factor for most.

Others have also argued that due to such events being outdoor and do not involve contact, they pose less of a risk than their indoor counterparts which involve contact, many of which are being held around the world in countries which have a lesser rate of vaccination.

The coming days will be decisive for the organisers of the Obstacle Course Racing events as they will have to decide whether or not they will postpone their events for yet another year.

#MaltaDaily

2.5 tonnes of waste cleaned-up for World Nature Conservation Day

2.5 tonnes of waste cleaned-up for World Nature Conservation Day
Jul 30 2021 Share

With an initiative coordinated by Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli, over-30 divers, kayakers and snorkelers participated in an underwater clean-up in Senglea to mark the World Nature Conservation Day. In view of the clean-up campaign currently carried out by Parks Malta, environmental activist Raniero Borg was joined by the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) and the Water Services Corporation (WSC). The Senglea area was chosen after a seabed analysis revealed a substantial amount of illegally disposed waste. 

Over 2.5 tonnes of waste were collected during the clean-up, including tyres, vehicle parts, wood, pipes, chairs, glass and a host of other objects which were polluting Malta’s waters. Dalli thanked the entities for their support, explaining how Parks Malta has been organising various clean-ups across Malta. 275 tonnes of waste have been collected across eight clean-up activities across the island. The Minister emphasised how raising awareness about protecting the environment needs to be kept up, alongside creating open spaces for the Maltese and traveller to enjoy. 


#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Miriam Dalli FB