【甲子園への道 福岡】「大騒ぎです」家族も驚いた大役！開会式中止を乗り越え、誓いの舞台へ【筑前】

Kou Ogawa, captain of Chikuzen High School, was chosen to deliver the players' oath at the Fukuoka High School Baseball Tournament. However, the opening ceremony was unexpectedly canceled due to rain. The grand stage was almost lost. We delved into his thoughts on the days he dedicated to practice, his feelings for his family, and his feelings about the special players' oath he would deliver with his teammates. === "I'm incredibly surprised!" Representing 131 teams! === The Fukuoka High School Baseball Tournament. At the draw ceremony where the captains of 131 teams gathered, Kou Ogawa, captain of Chikuzen High School, was chosen to deliver the players' oath. Regarding this important role that came his way in his final summer of high school, he said, "I'm incredibly surprised. I'm extremely nervous," showing a mix of surprise and nervousness. Regarding his speech representing high school baseball players in Fukuoka Prefecture, he said, "I've always valued giving my all in every single pitch, so I want to incorporate that into my speech," expressing his determination to pour his feelings about baseball into his oath. ==="The Ogawa family is in an uproar": A mother talks about her son's big moment=== His mother, Misa, who has been supporting him most closely, recalls the shock she felt at the time, saying, "It was the first time, and I was just so surprised." She smiles as she says their home is "in an uproar" over her son's important role, and she expresses her heartfelt joy at her son's big moment, saying, "He's done something incredible." To live up to those expectations, Captain Ogawa wrote the oath himself, seeking opinions from his teammates to complete it. To live up to the expectations of representing Fukuoka Prefecture, he continued practicing day after day, saying, "I thought a lot about where to pause to make it easier to understand, and about the emphasis." ==="It's frustrating that it's gone": The merciless rain, the news of the opening ceremony's cancellation=== The day before the opening ceremony, a rehearsal was held in front of the entire student body at a grade-level assembly. He seemed to have stumbled over his words a little, and gave himself a self-assessment of "70 points" with a wry smile. Nevertheless, he continued to make thorough preparations for the actual event. However, the coach announced the cancellation of the opening ceremony. Captain Ogawa expressed his disappointment, saying, "It's frustrating that the athletes' oath, which we had prepared for, is now gone." But hope did not vanish. It was suddenly decided that the athletes' oath would be held before Chikuzen High School's first game. The opportunity to take the oath remained, albeit in a different form. ==="It's enough if we can express ourselves in our own way": A special oath with teammates=== The grand stage that had almost been lost. His mother, Misa, cheered him on, saying, "He's received words of encouragement, so I want him to give it his all and use all the strength he has." Captain Ogawa said, "Some teams have already been eliminated before we could even take the oath, so I don't know if our feelings will reach everyone, but I hope we can express ourselves in our own way," renewing his determination to face this special stage, carrying the hopes of all the baseball players. His words and play will heat up the summer in Fukuoka. Captain Ogawa's players' oath will be taken before Chikuzen's first game on the 7th.