TOKYO, Japan – Even after parting ways with one of his top wards, Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya feels proud to see the culmination of his gymnastics partnership with Carlos Yulo – winning an Olympic medal.
HIs former Filipino pupil even surpassed expectations, bagging an Olympic double gold by ruling the floor exercise and vault in the Paris Games.
Kugimiya, who was part of a gymnastics delegation in Paris, watched Yulo live from the venue sidelines, delighted to see his gold-winning performances and emotional moment during the awarding ceremony.
Unfortunately, Kugimiya said he never got a chance to speak with Yulo, who was a promising 13-year-old talent when they first met.
“I want to say ‘Congratulations. You did a great job,’” Kugimiya told Rappler in a phone interview.
Kugimiya admitted he was full of emotions watching Yulo go on top of the podium.
Despite their split last year, Yulo told Rappler last May that there was no bad blood between them and he’d alway be indebted to Kugimiya, who molded him into a world champion in the floor exercise (2019) and vault (2021).
Kugimiya recalled “there was a difficult time” when he was training the young prospect, who left his family in Manila as a teen to train in Japan under a scholarship program in 2016.
“When we started training in Japan, Carlos was only 16 years old. At that time, there were few supporters, and I had to pay our own expenses,” said Kugimiya.
The adjustment turned out to be tough for the then promising teen Filipino find.
“I had such high hopes for Carlos. I thought that if gymnastics could break the heart of Carlos, who had so much talent, then there would be no need for [him to stay in the] gymnastics world,” Kugimiya shared.
The Japanese mentor recalled there was a time when Yulo almost gave up on training in Japan, troubled by various barriers such as language and culture.
“I remember giving Carlos a ticket [while we were] at a ramen shop, to return to the Philippines when he was 16 years old,” he said.
“There were times when I imposed a strict training regimen on him. But Carlos has always been aiming for the gold medal at the Olympics, and he has always been willing to go through any kind of hard practice. I am the best witness to Carlos’ hard work.”
Yulo plodded on, training in Japan for almost a decade until 2023. Along the way, they bagged an impressive collection of medals, highlighted by his historic two world championships.
Personal differences led to their breakup, with Yulo telling Rappler back in May: “I feel like I’ve outgrown our relationship.”
Filipino Aldrin Castañeda has since taken over as Yulo’s coach.
But Kugimiya hopes Yulo remembers what they’ve agreed on back in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
“When the Tokyo Olympics was over, Carlos and I vowed together that if we won gold in Paris, we would bring our gold medals to greet all those who have helped us,” said Kugimiya.
“He doesn’t have to be with me, but I hope he will carry out this greeting tour with his two gold medals.“
Kugimiya cited the many individuals and institutions that helped them, including Teikyo Senior High School, Oizumi Swallow Taiiku Club, Tsukahara Gymnastics Center, Tokushukai Gymnastics Club, Japanese Olympic Committee, Japan Gymnastics Association, Teikyo University, and the Japan Embassy.
The Japanese also hopes that as Yulo goes down in Philippine sports history as one its all-time greatest athletes, he wishes his former ward would give back.
“There are many athletes in the Philippines who have the potential but cannot practice hard or are not sent to games,” said Kugimiya.
“I hope that Carlos will grow into a person of character who will support future Filipino children and build an equal sports society.” – Rappler.com
