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Japan football chief Junji Ogura hopes 'revolutionary technologies' will seal 2022 World Cup bid
JFA boss promises Fifa a lucrative tournament...
22 Sep 2010 11:00:00
EXCLUSIVE
By Amar Singh
On December 2 the two host nations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be announced.
Whilst 2018 looks to be a two horse race between favourites England and Russia, the battle for the 2022 competition is hotting up with the USA, Australia, Qatar, South Korea and Japan all competing for the right to host the lucrative tournament.
Junji Ogura is a member of the 24-member Fifa Executive Committee who will vote in Zurich at the end of the year before the two historic announcements are made. As chairman of the Japanese Football Association, he is also spearheading Japan's bid to host the World Cup in 2022.
The Japanese proposal is defined by its pledge to bring the Fifa World Cup hurtling into the modern world, with a host of new technological innovations.
From creating an 'app' which spectators can use to instantly access information on players when pointing it towards them, to installing 200 high definition cameras around the pitch to offer a full 360 degree perspective on the game, Japan are promising no less than a football revolution.
MORE ON 2022....
Why was the decision made to place technological innovation as the key selling point of the bid?
Any country hosting the Word Cup in Europe, for example, has a tradition and history which they can use when making their bid. For us in Asia it is more about the future of football and we need something like the new technology aspect to give as an advantage.
If we demonstrate to Fifa that we can take the game further than ever before and that this is truly revolutionary we have a big chance. Japan has a good reputation for new technology so this is a natural area for us.
They seem quite ambitious and costly, such as installing 200 HD cameras at every match, full 3D coverage and the Fifa hyper application technologies. Are they based on financial projections that the broadcast and sponsorship money will be a lot higher in 2022?
Yes, it would have to be more than it was in 2010. Our proposal will integrate the internet more into the World Cup offering and this I believe will be more attractive to sponsors. For the fan fests, we propose 3D TV without glasses and these kind of innovations will bring in the corporate interest.
I am confident these new proposals will generate new income for Fifa.
For England's 2018 bid, David Beckham's involvement has been at the fore and the FA hope his global profile gives us the edge. How are you involving the Japan players?
Yes, we are very pleased with our bid ambassadors. Players like Keisuke Honda and Makoto Hasebe are helping with propaganda and announcements. They have good profiles in Europe. Also coaches with a high profile have joined us such as our former managers.
Also [former national team manager Ivica] Osim and Mr [Alberto] Zaccheroni, who has been appointed our national coach, have been appointed as ambassadors.
As JFA chairman, you were instrumental in the appointment of Alberto Zaccheroni. What are the main reasons why you opted for him?
I know he never experienced being a national coach but he experienced running many big clubs like AC Milan and Juventus. He said he wanted to be a national coach.
This is a good chance and we are very happy for such an experienced coach to come to Japan.
His relative lack of work over the past few years was not a concern?
Yes, well he was commentating with the TV and when I had an interview with him I was satisfied with his knowledge of football and also his playing style will suit Japan. He looks like a teacher and this style is good for the Japanese. I expect him to do very well.
Who do you see as your main competitors to host the 2022 World Cup?
They are all strong competitors. The United States, yes. Australia, yes. South Korea and also Qatar - it's very level now. So the next few weeks between now and December 2 will be very important.
Like South Africa's successful bid for 2010, Russia's 2018 has legacy proposals at the heart of the pledge; the opportunity to create infrastructure, improve communities and so on. What would the legacy be of the World Cup in 2022 should Japan host the event?
Well the Eco Stadium in Osaka, which will be solar powered and newly created for the World Cup will be very important. We would be hosting the opening game and final there too. Also, many of the stadiums used in 2002 must be renovated, updated and modernised if we were to win.
Yes we have strong infrastructure and world class stadiums already, but there is much more we will do.
And should Japan win the rights to the World Cup in 2022, you are promising a technological leap forward in the way the game is viewed and enjoyed. Surely then, goal-line technology would be imperative?
Well this is not for me to say, I know it is a big issue. [Uefa president] Mr [Michel] Platini proposed the introduction of the two extra [goal-line] referees and Fifa has decided that not only Europe but all confederations must test the dual referee system from this year. After testing that we will have some idea about this issue.
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football fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again!
By Amar Singh
On December 2 the two host nations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be announced.
Whilst 2018 looks to be a two horse race between favourites England and Russia, the battle for the 2022 competition is hotting up with the USA, Australia, Qatar, South Korea and Japan all competing for the right to host the lucrative tournament.
| Bet: | Returns: | Japan £11.67 | Draw £67.50 | Oman £150.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Japan £11.70 | Draw £55.00 | Oman £110.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Japan £12.00 | Draw £60.00 | Oman £120.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Japan £11.70 | Draw £65.00 | Oman £190.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Japan £11.50 | Draw £60.00 | Oman £115.00 |
|
Junji Ogura is a member of the 24-member Fifa Executive Committee who will vote in Zurich at the end of the year before the two historic announcements are made. As chairman of the Japanese Football Association, he is also spearheading Japan's bid to host the World Cup in 2022.
The Japanese proposal is defined by its pledge to bring the Fifa World Cup hurtling into the modern world, with a host of new technological innovations.
From creating an 'app' which spectators can use to instantly access information on players when pointing it towards them, to installing 200 high definition cameras around the pitch to offer a full 360 degree perspective on the game, Japan are promising no less than a football revolution.
MORE ON 2022....
- The Endorsement: Exclusive: Ronald De Boer - Qatar can host a great World Cup
- The Unity: South Korea plan to hold World Cup games in North Korea as part of 2022 bid
- The Impression: FIFA declare Australia's World Cup 2022 bid is 'prepared in all aspects'
- The Ambassador: Zinedine Zidane named ambassador of Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid
Football 2.0 | Japan is hoping to wow the world with technological advancements
Why was the decision made to place technological innovation as the key selling point of the bid?
Any country hosting the Word Cup in Europe, for example, has a tradition and history which they can use when making their bid. For us in Asia it is more about the future of football and we need something like the new technology aspect to give as an advantage.
If we demonstrate to Fifa that we can take the game further than ever before and that this is truly revolutionary we have a big chance. Japan has a good reputation for new technology so this is a natural area for us.
They seem quite ambitious and costly, such as installing 200 HD cameras at every match, full 3D coverage and the Fifa hyper application technologies. Are they based on financial projections that the broadcast and sponsorship money will be a lot higher in 2022?
 "For the fan fests, we propose 3D TV without glasses and these kind of innovations will bring in further corporate interest."
- Junji Ogura
|
I am confident these new proposals will generate new income for Fifa.
For England's 2018 bid, David Beckham's involvement has been at the fore and the FA hope his global profile gives us the edge. How are you involving the Japan players?
Yes, we are very pleased with our bid ambassadors. Players like Keisuke Honda and Makoto Hasebe are helping with propaganda and announcements. They have good profiles in Europe. Also coaches with a high profile have joined us such as our former managers.
Also [former national team manager Ivica] Osim and Mr [Alberto] Zaccheroni, who has been appointed our national coach, have been appointed as ambassadors.
As JFA chairman, you were instrumental in the appointment of Alberto Zaccheroni. What are the main reasons why you opted for him?
 I'm Zac | Italian takes helm |
I know he never experienced being a national coach but he experienced running many big clubs like AC Milan and Juventus. He said he wanted to be a national coach.
This is a good chance and we are very happy for such an experienced coach to come to Japan.
His relative lack of work over the past few years was not a concern?
Yes, well he was commentating with the TV and when I had an interview with him I was satisfied with his knowledge of football and also his playing style will suit Japan. He looks like a teacher and this style is good for the Japanese. I expect him to do very well.
Who do you see as your main competitors to host the 2022 World Cup?
They are all strong competitors. The United States, yes. Australia, yes. South Korea and also Qatar - it's very level now. So the next few weeks between now and December 2 will be very important.
Like South Africa's successful bid for 2010, Russia's 2018 has legacy proposals at the heart of the pledge; the opportunity to create infrastructure, improve communities and so on. What would the legacy be of the World Cup in 2022 should Japan host the event?
Well the Eco Stadium in Osaka, which will be solar powered and newly created for the World Cup will be very important. We would be hosting the opening game and final there too. Also, many of the stadiums used in 2002 must be renovated, updated and modernised if we were to win.
Yes we have strong infrastructure and world class stadiums already, but there is much more we will do.
And should Japan win the rights to the World Cup in 2022, you are promising a technological leap forward in the way the game is viewed and enjoyed. Surely then, goal-line technology would be imperative?
Well this is not for me to say, I know it is a big issue. [Uefa president] Mr [Michel] Platini proposed the introduction of the two extra [goal-line] referees and Fifa has decided that not only Europe but all confederations must test the dual referee system from this year. After testing that we will have some idea about this issue.
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Live!
England 1-0 Belgium, Netherlands 2-0 Northern Ireland - follow all the international action LIVE! ahead of Euro 2012
With countries across the continent gearing up for their final warm-up games ahead of Euro 2012, join us for all the action from Saturday's friendlies. Get in touch with us via Twitter with your reaction.
Hosted by Joe Doyle
Hosted by Joe Doyle
19:38 BST
Here's Roy Hodgson's reaction to the result and some injury chat: "I'm very pleased, it's been a hard week and we've used a lot of players. There was a lot of disruption in the second-half with substitutions – some forced upon us, some we wanted to do. But it's still a very good end to the week playing against a good Belgian team here. Arguably even stronger than the Norwegian team we played last week and I've got to be more than happy that we've come out with another victory."
"[Gary] Cahill I suppose is slightly more of a concern for me because it is a jaw injury. We're desperately hoping the CT scan doesn't show any fracture and it's just going to be a bruising situation, which will be bad enough, but won't stop him taking part in the tournament. As far as John's [Terry] concerned he felt his hamstring a little bit. Again it wasn't a major thing when he came off but we still need to scan it just to be 100 per cent sure."
Suffice to say, if Cahill has broken his jaw, he won't play any part in the tournament.
"[Gary] Cahill I suppose is slightly more of a concern for me because it is a jaw injury. We're desperately hoping the CT scan doesn't show any fracture and it's just going to be a bruising situation, which will be bad enough, but won't stop him taking part in the tournament. As far as John's [Terry] concerned he felt his hamstring a little bit. Again it wasn't a major thing when he came off but we still need to scan it just to be 100 per cent sure."
Suffice to say, if Cahill has broken his jaw, he won't play any part in the tournament.
19:35 BST
And another point from today: Eden Hazard wasn't great. Don't think you can judge him on one performance though. What do you think? Is it just a case of too much hype around the Chelsea-bound Belgian?
19:32 BST
We're getting plenty of people saying it was boring. PLENTY. But Spain scored seven goals in eight games at the World Cup and I didn't hear too many of their fans complaining. Or as Fran Stinchcombe points out on Twitter: "If we had lost but played free flowing attacking football would these people still have moaned?"
19:24 BST
No, no, no. I'll have none of that Emile Heskey shouting anymore! Hello, it's me, it's me, it's that D-O-Y-L-E. Yes, I'm Joe Doyle, and I'll be here for all the reaction to that England game. First things first, how did everyone see that game? Good performance? A touch boring? Let me know on Twitter.
19:17 BST
Right, that’s me, Danny Hart, done. Joe Doyle is itching to retain his LIVE! crown for the evening. England reaction, Netherlands-Northern Ireland updates and much, much more - Doyle will be across it all. England are gonna win the Euros! And remember: EMILE HESKEY. Cheerio!
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