Softball: Japan’s Yukiko Ueno looks toward LA Olympics regardless of role

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Long-time Japanese softball ace Yukiko Ueno intends to contribute to her country’s gold medal quest as a player or coach when the sport returns to the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles.

“I’d like to prepare myself to be involved, whichever position I’ll be in, player or coach,” the 42-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist said Monday in Tokyo, where she took a coaching course.

The course is part of a two-and-a-half-month program for those who wish to work with the country’s elite players.

Ueno helped Japan strike gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after a bronze medal finish in Athens in 2004.

Softball was not played at the Paris Olympics this summer.

“We have to move forward by setting Olympic gold as our No. 1 goal,” Ueno said. “I want to remain as a player as long as possible. But at the same time, I want to be a coach when my career ends.”

In July, Ueno was named the MVP of the Women’s Softball World Cup in Italy after a 6-1 victory over the United States in the final.