INTERVIEW WITH HIKARU TAMURA!
Hikaru Tamura is a Japanese volleyball player and has been training volleyball for 15 years.
1. Can you tell us something about yourself? What is your name, how old are you and where are you from?
„My name is Hikaru Tamura. I am 24 years old and I am from Japan.“
2. When did you become interested in volleyball and when did you start training?
„I became interested in volleyball when I was in elementary school. I started taking volleyball seriously when I was in junior high school. Before that, I played volleyball in a local children’s sports club in my hometown.“
3. How much are you tall and what position do you play?
„I am 163 cm tall and I play as an outside hitter.“
4. Who are your idols in sports in general and who in volleyball?
„I do not really have any idols in sports in general. In volleyball, I would not say I have idols, but my favorite players are Mayu Ishikawa from Japan and Gabi from Brazil.“
5. In which club did you start training and in which club are you today?
„I played volleyball for school teams throughout junior high school, high school, and university. Currently, I am not playing for a club, but I am looking for a team and hope to find one soon.“
6. Can you single out some of the successes you achieved with the club?
„One of my proudest achievements was helping my university team achieve the best league result in the club’s history. I was also awarded Best Outside Hitter in tournaments in Vietnam and Mongolia.“
7. What are your plans for the future in terms of volleyball?
„This year, I hope to continue playing volleyball overseas. I want to show young players who might have given up because of their height that it’s possible to play volleyball even if you’re not tall. In the future, I hope to work in countries where volleyball is still developing or where people want to learn but do not have enough opportunities. I would like to teach not only the fun and beauty of volleyball, but also important values and personal growth through sports. I am always open to new opportunities, so I would be happy to hear from anyone who shares this vision.“
8. Would you recommend the younger generation of boys and girls to try volleyball?
„Of course! Although this was not one of the questions, may I share something I have learned through volleyball? The reason I wanted to challenge myself overseas was because I participated in a tournament in Vietnam while I was a university student. The atmosphere in the arena, the passionate supporters, and everything around me felt so different from Japan. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately thought, „I definitely want to play volleyball abroad.“ So far, I have played volleyball in Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, and Singapore, and every experience has been wonderful. Through volleyball, I have learned to appreciate being able to do what I love without restrictions and to be grateful to my family, friends, and everyone who supports me. I also believe it is important to place yourself in an environment where you feel happy and motivated, to trust your teammates, coaches, and managers, and to have at least one rival whom you never want to lose to, because that person can inspire you to become better. Thank you very much for reading my story.“
Intervjui sa sportistkinjama iz inostranstva objavljuju se isključivo na engleskom jeziku.
Interviews with sportswomen from abroad are published exclusively in English.
Serbian 
English