Shozo Sasahara

Shozo Sasahara

Photograph of Sasahara at the 1956 Olympics, signed by him
Personal information
Born	July 28, 1929 Yamagata, Japan
Alma mater	Chuo University[1]
Sport
Sport	Freestyle wrestling
Medal record Representing  Japan Olympic Games 1956 Melbourne Featherweight World Wrestling Championships 1954 Tokyo -62 kg

Shozo Sasahara (left) and Osamu Watanabe (top-right)

Shozo Sasahara (笹原 正三 Sasahara Shōzō, born July 28, 1929) is a retired Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a world title in 1954 and an Olympics gold medal in 1956.^[2] He was the flag bearer for Japan at the 1956 Games.

During his career Sasahara won approximately 200 bouts.^[1] After retiring from competitions he worked as a national coach. His trainees included Osamu Watanabe.

Sasahara is credited with designing "bound tennis" in 1980, which is a form of tennis played on a small-sized court.^[3] In 1981 he became the founding president of Japan Bound Tennis Association.

Between 1989 and 2003 Sasahara was president of Japan Wrestling Association. For many years he also served as Vice-President of United World Wrestling (FILA), and was later named its Honorary Vice-president. In 2006 he was inducted to the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame.^[4][5]

Books by Sasahara

• Scientific Approach to Wrestling. Chuo University Co-operation Press. 1960.
• Fundamentals of Scientific Wrestling. Taylor & Francis. 1968. ISBN 0800208013.
• FILA Wrestling Album: Free Style. FILA, Fédération internationale de lutte amateur. 1988.

References

1. 笹原正三－対戦相手も震える恐怖の「また裂き」. sanspo.com
2. Shozo Sasahara. sports-reference.com
3. Prawns Katsu Hara Megumi of the all-Japan bound tennis championship third place pays a courtesy visit to the mayor. Hiratsuka City. June 20, 2014
4. FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees announced; Nine honored including first woman. FILA. June 26, 2006
5. Shozo Sasahara. FILA