Source: NURPHOTO/Kabir Jhangiani
[Saba Sports News] 18-year-old Tomoka Miyazaki, who won the women’s singles title at the All Japan Individual Championships last year, will aim to win the Japan Open Badminton Championships from July 15 to 20. Recently, Miyazaki attended the “Kiyoyasu Yamashita Award” ceremony held at the Tokyo Imperial Hotel, which is given to athletes who have contributed to youth sports development. This was her first time winning the award, and she was honored alongside other athletes such as Paris Olympic women’s javelin gold medalist Haruka Kitaguchi. At the ceremony, Miyazaki made a striking appearance in a black suit. In an interview, she revealed that she has been focusing on strength training since last year, gaining about 7 kilograms from her original weight of 40 kg. She now feels stronger, and her friends say her face shape has changed. Miyazaki said the Japan Open in Tokyo in July will be an important stage to show her growth. Although she was eliminated in the first round last year, she hopes to achieve good results in front of the home crowd this time.