Day 5『Albirex Sports Development Fund』 Niigata Training Tour
Day 5 -Lunch at Tomi Sushi, Visit to Niigata City Aquarium, Second Football Training Session, Cold Soba
One can experience many firsts in life and this is no exception for Danial and Yuhen today. Both boys got a chance to taste raw fish for the first time during lunch when they were taken to Tomi Sushi, a sponsor of Albirex Niigata Football Club. They were initially hesitant at the idea of eating raw fish but eventually decided to order a plate of tuna sushi. After his first bite, Yuhen did not stop and continued to help himself to more sushi. When asked about his thoughts of eating tuna raw, he said, “this is the first time I am tasting raw fish and it is pleasing to eat. I really liked its taste and texture and did not expect to enjoy eating it so much.” The two boys also managed to try unagi (grilled eel) with rice for the first time. Daniel said, “The unagi was surprisingly softer than I expected and it had a real fragrant taste.”
In the evening, the two boys attended football training for the first time at Albillage with the Albirex Niigata Football Club Under-13 team. The topic for training was similar to their first which covered passing and ball control. Both boys gave their all by displaying good touches and passing the ball well during the training. One aspect however in which the boys had trouble dealing at times was the pace of the training. Danial said, “similarly to the first training session, today’s training pace was intensive. I feel that fitness is the only difference between me and the other players. While I believed that I had trained well today, I will continue to work and improve on my fitness level so that I can be a much better player.” Yuhen added, “The players around me were all fitter and have more pace. It is no use to be able to control and pass the ball well if I am too slow. Hence, I will really have to work hard to build up my fitness so as to move faster and sharper.”
In between lunch and football training, the two boys had the opportunity to visit the Niigata City Aquarium. There, they saw a wide range of fish and marine animals on display in various tanks and enclosures. They also had a close encounter with the seals during their feeding time and caught a dolphin show.
During dinner, Danial and Yuhen were joined by a special guest, Yumi Nagasawa, Director of the Albirex Singapore Cheer Dance School. Yumi introduced to the two boys Hegi soba, one of the must eat food in Niigata. Before the food was served, Yumi spent time teaching the boys origami, a Japanese art of paper folding. Eventually, both boys managed to fold a crane successfully. When the hegi soba was served, both boys were surprised that it was to be eaten cold. After learning the correct way to eat the hegi soba, the two boys started slurping away and enjoyed themselves to a wonderful meal.
