Pacific Rim Cup taps first female coach to co-lead Keiki Clinic this summer

HONOLULU – Pacific Rim Cup proudly welcomes the addition of its very first female coach to co-lead its popular keiki soccer clinic this summer. Award-winning soccer veteran, Asako Takakura of Japan, will join Shandon Hopeau, Kenji Treschuk and Takuya Yamada to train and develop nearly 400 keiki at the now sold-out Pacific Rim Cup 2022 Keiki Soccer Clinic.

“It is truly an honor for us to have Ms. Asako Takakura accept our invitation as one of our esteemed coaches to lead our keiki clinic,” said Takehiko Nakamura, President & CEO of Blue United Corporation, the organizer of Pacific Rim Cup. “Ms. Takakura has held an extensive and exemplary career as both an award-winning player and coach and has represented Japan all over the world. All of our keiki participants this summer will truly benefit from learning from one of the world’s top female soccer stars and our very first female coach.”

Fukushima native Takakura was just 16 years old when she debuted for the Japan national team against Italy in 1984. She is a member of the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Commission and head coach of the Japanese women’s national football team Nadeshiko Japan. Her professional career includes playing for FC Jinnan and Yomiuri Beleza where she was selected for MVP awards twice and also selected Best Eleven a total of seven times. She eventually moved to Matsushita Electric Panasonic Bambina (later Speranza FC Takatsuki) then the Women’s Premier Soccer League club Silicon Valley Red Devils. In 2005, she retired from playing having clocked in a total of 226 games in L.League. Takakura was awarded the AFC Women’s Coach of The Year Award a total of seven times. After retirement, she began her coaching career as the coach of the national Under-13 women’s football team. In 2016, Takakura was appointed as the manager of the Japan national women’s team and led them to the title of 2018 Asian Cup. She previously coached and led the national women’s team to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

The Pacific Rim Cup 2022 Keiki Soccer Clinic is set for July 9 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.

Pacific Rim Cup, organizer of the professional games last held at Aloha Stadium in 2019, is bringing back the popular soccer clinic to continue its commitment of mentoring local soccer youth with hopes of returning with the professional tournament games in the future.