One for the oldies
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:28 am
No, unlike uberdude, I do not mean those over 30. I mean those who believe that being able to get out of bed in the morning is an achievement.
And you'd probably have to be in that category to really understand this rather nice reply from Kobayashi Koichi in a press conference that marked his elevation to the peerage. Actually, it was his April 2018 award of the Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon, one of the lowliest of the gongs given annually to Japan's most worthy citizens.
Kobayashi thus joins a select band of almost a dozen players to have been honoured at this level. A few players have risen higher up the ladder and some have been honoured more than once. Go Seigen got the snazzy Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (III). Segoe Kensaku has had the most honours and is way up in the clouds with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, Senior Fourth Position.
In British terms Kobayashi would maybe be a CBE, Go would be a Sir and Segoe would be a Lord.
Anyway, back to what Kobayashi (now 66) said. Asked about challenges for the future, he said "Fortunately I am healthy and I still have a passion for go. Go is fascinating. When I heard that Go Seigen and Fujisawa Hideyuki were still studying go even after retiring, I thought 'Why?' But now I understand."
Iyama Yuta hasn't been gonged up yet but he did get to meet the Emperor and Empress at the Palace's Spring Garden Party. "A day I will never forget."
And you'd probably have to be in that category to really understand this rather nice reply from Kobayashi Koichi in a press conference that marked his elevation to the peerage. Actually, it was his April 2018 award of the Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon, one of the lowliest of the gongs given annually to Japan's most worthy citizens.
Kobayashi thus joins a select band of almost a dozen players to have been honoured at this level. A few players have risen higher up the ladder and some have been honoured more than once. Go Seigen got the snazzy Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (III). Segoe Kensaku has had the most honours and is way up in the clouds with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, Senior Fourth Position.
In British terms Kobayashi would maybe be a CBE, Go would be a Sir and Segoe would be a Lord.
Anyway, back to what Kobayashi (now 66) said. Asked about challenges for the future, he said "Fortunately I am healthy and I still have a passion for go. Go is fascinating. When I heard that Go Seigen and Fujisawa Hideyuki were still studying go even after retiring, I thought 'Why?' But now I understand."
Iyama Yuta hasn't been gonged up yet but he did get to meet the Emperor and Empress at the Palace's Spring Garden Party. "A day I will never forget."
