Skip to main content

Hiroshi Neko Named to Cambodian National Team for Asian Games

http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20140623k0000m040092000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

Comedian Hiroshi Neko, 36, has been named to the Cambodian national team for this autumn's Incheon Asian Games in the marathon according to a June 22 press release from his management.  Neko, a Cambodian citizen, holds the all-time second-best Cambodian time of 2:30:26.  The Asian Games will be his third time being named to a Cambodian team for an international championships.  Neko commented, "I will do everything I can in training for the three months until the main event, and I will show everyone my best running there."

The Japanese-born Neko, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, took Cambodian citizenship in 2011.  He was initially named to Cambodia's 2012 London Olympics team, but due to eligibility issues surrounding his transfer of citizenship he was unable to run.

Comments

CK said…
This announcement comes less than 2 weeks after Neko Hiroshi was beaten (yet again) by homegrown native Cambodian, Hem Bunting, in the Phnom Penh Half Marathon (1st Bunting 1:13:22, 2nd Neko 1:14:50). Bunting is the multiple Nat Record holder whose 2:22 Marathon NR in Paris 4/2012 was deemed "not good enough" to get selection for OG 2012, with Neko initially selected in preference. Is there any info regarding whether Bunting has been selected for AG as well ? Typically CAM's team for AG is 1 male and 1 female athlete total. If (once again) the second best runner is being prioritised over the best for a major champs, for whatever reason, then what hope has home-born Ma Viro (3rd in recent Phnom Penh Half Mar in 1:16:08) or any other up-and-coming local CAM distance runner of ever being selected ?

Results from Phnom Penh Half Mar on 15/6/2014 are here:
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/sport/local-favourite-frenchwoman-win-half-marathon
Brett Larner said…
I haven't heard anything about Bunting's current situation, but the Cambodian federation does seem to favorite Neko over him.

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

Osako Breaks Marathon NR for 3rd Time - Weekend Roundup

It looked like it was going to be a big weekend, and it delivered. For the 3rd time in his career Suguru Osako broke the men's marathon NR, running 1 second under the standing record to take 4th in the Valencia Marathon in 2:04:55. All the way to 40 km he was steady on 2:58/km, 2:05:10 pace, and like a surprising number of other people in both the men's and women's races, there was a massive jump over the last 2.195 km from his projected finish time to his actual one. His run put Osako back on top of the Japanese charts, put the average of Japan's 10 fastest marathon times of the year under 2:06 for the first time, and got him into the L.A. Olympics marathon trials. Valencia has been trying to get top-tier Japanese athletes to come for years, and now that they finally managed to do it it paid off in a big way. Expect more next year. Back home, former Takushoku University captain Derese Workneh won a 3-way race against Toyota teammates Kazuya Nishiyama and Bedan Ka...

'Kobe 2024: Monday Sees Shocking Wins on the Track and the Field'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-monday-sees-shocking-wins-track-and-field Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships  are here .