The Irish Olympic Committee and Fukuroi City sign an agreement for a base camp location

The Irish Olympic Committee and Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture held a signing ceremony on September 18 at the Irish Ambassador's residence in Minato Ward, Tokyo, regarding the base camp location for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Ambassador Paul Cavanagh stated, "Shizuoka Prefecture is the land of Mount Fuji, and the entire prefecture resembles a national park. In 2019, it will also host matches for the Rugby World Cup. I am confident this agreement will accelerate the friendly relationship between Ireland and Fukuroi City."

Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu introduced the venue, Ecopa Stadium and Ecopa Arena within the city's Ogasayama Sports Park (commonly known as Ecopa), expressing his enthusiasm: "We want to support the Irish team's success at the Olympics with our comfortable facilities and the appeal of our prefecture, including its rich natural environment."

With Governor Kawakatsu and Ambassador Kavanagh in attendance, Peter Sherrad, CEO of the Irish Olympic Committee, and Mayor Hideyuki Harada signed the agreement. Fukuroi City was designated as the base camp location for approximately one month, starting two weeks before the Tokyo Olympics opening and continuing until just before the closing.

CEO Sherrad stated, "It is an honor to meet Governor Kawakatsu and Mayor Harada, our partners. Shizuoka Prefecture offers a wonderful environment with abundant nature and delicious food. We chose it as the base camp because we believe athletes can relax and focus on the competition here. As Governor Kawakatsu mentioned, the prefecture has excellent facilities, but what's even more delightful is the many wonderful people here. The residents of the prefecture and city will surely support the camp's success."

He also charmingly introduced his country's national character, saying, "The Irish love to travel. We are curious, enjoy having fun, and sometimes drink a bit too much beer." He added, "Now the Irish have two reasons to visit Japan: the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics. We are very much looking forward to it."

Mayor Harada drew laughter from the audience by noting, "The common thread between Ireland and Shizuoka Prefecture is 'green'. Both are rich in nature, with tea, rice fields, and melons."

He concluded, "It's a privilege to see the team from Ireland, a rugby powerhouse, right before our eyes. We are grateful they chose our city as their base camp from among many candidate locations. Our citizens will unite to support the Irish players so they can deliver their best performance. We look forward to even more exchanges."