On November 25-26, Okayama University's Weight Training Club participated in the "50th All Japan Student Powerlifting Championship for the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Cup", held at Okayama University's Second Gymnasium. They clinched the team championship for the 14th time after a 4-year hiatus! The tournament, organized by the club's KOGA Kenshin (Faculty of Law, 4th year), who serves as the chairman of the All Japan Student Federation, was hosted by the club and featured intense competition among 91 participants from 27 schools who advanced through nationwide qualifying tournaments.

In this competition, individual rankings were determined by weight class, and team rankings were decided based on the points earned by the rankings. In the individual competitions, Ingyin Phoo (Discovery Program for Global Learners, 4th year) secured victory in the women's 52kg class, and TSUBOUCHI　Reo (School of Economics, 3rd year) won in the men's 105kg and over class. Several other club members achieved high rankings in the individual competitions, contributing to the team's 14th championship victory after a four-year gap! Mr. Tsubouchi set Japanese records in three categories: squat (330kg, All Japan Student Record, Junior Japan Record), bench press (187.5kg, Junior Japan Record), and total (737.5kg, Junior Japan Record), adding to the team's triumph.

In response to the results, Ingyin Phoo, who played a significant role in winning the women's 52kg class and contributing to the team championship, expressed her gratitude, saying, "Winning this time is by no means solely my achievement. It was possible because of the support from coaches, seconds, teammates, juniors, and others. I sincerely appreciate it. Winning the individual championship and contributing significantly to the team championship, winning as an international student in the intercollegiate competition—all these experiences are memories I want to cherish for a lifetime. Although graduation is just around the corner, I will continue to do my best to lead my juniors as a fourth-year student."

Captain TANII Yosuke (Faculty of Law, 4th year), a driving force behind the club, said, "Winning the team championship was made possible thanks to the support from the director, coaches, and club members who have supported us so far. Winning made me realize how much support and encouragement from those around us can be empowering. I will pass on my enthusiasm to my juniors so that we can achieve consecutive victories next year!"

Their continuous efforts, gratitude towards those around them, and the achievement of their goals have inspired many. Let's look forward to their continued success in the future!