This is an interview with Mr. Hiroki Tokutake, a member of JICA's Volunteers (JOCV)*. Mr. Hiroki Tokutake has been spreading rugby around India (Bhubaneswar Odyshia). Ai Nakamura, from the Japan Rugby Football Union, International Cooperation Section, conducted the interview.

Could you please tell me about your responsibilities and activities?
I am coaching a rugby team at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). The school was established to support training for minority groups between the ages of 9 and 23 years old. There are approximately 27,000 students in all the schools and over 500 rugby team members. However, there are only 2 coaches who have been dispatched to Bhubaneswar since the summer of 2016 as Overseas Cooperation Volunteer from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

I am surprised to hear that you are coaching 500 players. I don’t believe there is a coach in Japan who is coaching so many players.
KISS is an educational institution for disadvantaged children. Living  and school expenses are covered by donation, and there is no economic burden to the students. The number of students is the largest in the world as a school that can study and live for free. I heard that it is published in the Guinness Book. It is not possible to coach all the players at once, but I like to engage with as many players as possible.

Did you have any coaching experience before going to India?
 No, I didn’t. I played rugby in high school and university, so I wanted to take advantage of my player's experience in coaching.

Could you please give me some examples? And what are some features of Japanese rugby?
 Japanese rugby has the "One for all, all for one" and "No side" spirit. With this kind of spirit, KISS works on important values such as thanking the grounds keeper and arranging the balls after practice. When I started to work at the school, players were very quiet and quietly made passes during practice. Since rugby is a team sport, I continually emphasize the importance of respecting friends and teamwork, and now I hear a shouting call "Charo Charo!" (In Japanese, it means: "Come this way!" "Quick, quick!" and "Pass!") .

Your awareness is spreading. Is there anything else you have devised or struggled with?
As a characteristic of Indian people, they say they do what is is their mind no matter whom they are talking to. They also have a habit of not doing things that they don’t want to do. However, when they like something or have a motivation to do something, they do their best. When talking about rugby practice, they don’t like tackling practice, but they like offence/attack practice. Therefore, I have to be conscious about practice menus and make sure that there are “fun” components. Even though they have a habit of not doing things that they don’t want to do, they are very patient and have a strong mentality so although they don’t like to practice tackling, when it comes to a game, they go hard at their opponents to tackle which I admire. 

I can feel that you respect the culture and people in India. 
Indian people treat everyone equally and I sometimes feel like I am more myself than when I was living in Japan. I feel accepted and loved.

Are there any parts of you where you feel you have grown by coaching rugby as a JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteer?
When I came to KISS, I noticed that rugby is a sport that cannot be done without compassion. On the day my players played the game for the first time, the players said "Thank you", I felt this was the real pleasure of coaching and  I thought to myself that I wanted to learn more rugby.

Mr. Toru Jinguji who coached you at university was dispatched from Japan as a coach of the Indian national team.
I was surprised from the beginning as I heard that the coach of the alma mater (Yamanashi Gakuin University) was coming to coach the Indian national team. I decided to apply for the Overseas Cooperation Volunteers myself, so I did not consult with Mr. Jinguji. In other words, this was the first time to see Mr. Jinguji since I graduated from university, but I was very happy that Indian Rugby was exposed and
I wanted to support Mr. Jinguji as much as I could (mainly this time as an interpreter).

In July, you will return to Japan after completing the 2-year term, how will you use your experience upon your return?
All KISS students say the world has opened up through rugby. There are a quite few students who want to give back to KISS. I have become positive and I am very grateful to India for the experiences that I have been able to have. Someday I hope to visit India again and become the bridge between Japan and Indian rugby.

Mr. Tokutake said that he would be very happy if children enjoy playing rugby in the last 2 months of his time in India. From Tokutake's word, "I got a love from India", I heard proudness with gratitude, humbleness and respect.

For the 2019 Rugby World Cup, prevailing rugby in Asia is urgently needed. Japan Rugby Football Union will continue to support through the Asian Scrum Project so that children who have touched the pleasure of rugby by Mr. Tokutake will continue to be familiar with rugby. (Ai Nakamura, Japan Rugby Football Union, International Cooperation Section) 

*JICA's volunteer
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/types_of_assistance/citizen/volunteers.html