<p>TOKYO: Kozo Tashima first started playing football after watching the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and since then he has dedicated his life to developing the sport’s growth in Japan.
Key takeaways
Kozo Tashima, a 68‑year‑old Japanese football administrator, has announced his candidacy for FIFA president, aiming to bring integrity to the sport amid concerns over Gianni Infantino’s leadership.
- Tashima will be the first Japanese candidate for FIFA president, running against Infantino in March.
- He emphasizes that sport must uphold integrity in an era dominated by business and money.
- His background includes playing, coaching, and studying at the German Sport University Cologne.
Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by New Straits Times. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.
TOKYO: Kozo Tashima first started playing football after watching the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and since then he has dedicated his life to developing the sport's growth in Japan.
The 68-year-old is set to become the first person from Japan to run for the FIFA presidency after announcing he would stand against Gianni Infantino in football's governing body's election in March.
Tashima has served as a football player, coach and bureaucrat and has a reputation for being a safe pair of hands.
He rarely makes headlines, and one of the few times he appeared outside the sport pages was when he became one of the first public figures in Japan to contract coronavirus in March 2020.
