Keiji
Kondo 近藤 桂司

2021.03.15

Kondo’s unwavering feelings towards the rifle: Continuing to evolve with passion and persistence

Exuding a gentle and kind air, Keiji Kondo was—until his encounter with rifle shooting—a boy who spent most of his time indoors, reading or playing video games, instead of going outside to play. He instinctively felt “This is it!” when he discovered that the high school he was planning to attend, Yufu High School, was one of the few schools in his prefecture to have a shooting club.

Kondo’s weapon: Passion and persistence

Rifle shooting is an Olympic Games event in which athletes shoot over a certain distance at a target using a pistol or rifle. The athletes are required to fire a predetermined number of shots within a certain time limit, competing with each other over the overall points gained from shooting at the target.

Kondo is skilled at the 50-Meter Rifle 3 Positions (120 shots) event, which involves shooting over a distance of 50 meters at a small target and firing 40 shots each in a kneeling, prone, and standing position.

Kondo first encountered rifle shooting in his first year of high school. He does not necessarily have exceptional athletic abilities, but his strength can be found in his passion and persistence. The coach of the Japanese national team, Naoki Isobe, has also been coaching Kondo since he was a first-year high school student. Coach Isobe praises Kondo, commenting that “He may not be gifted with exceptional talent, but his dedication towards the sport is unparalleled. His talent for effort is top class.”

During his high school years, Kondo was unable to achieve good results in national competitions. He could not gain entry into a university with a shooting club, so he continued with the sport on his own. He entered competitions and decided on how to travel and where to stay by himself. He spent four lonely years without anyone to share his joys and discuss his difficulties. In his first year of university, Kondo managed to place in the Tokyo National Sports Festival, but thereafter he entered a slump.

Reaping the fruits of his effort in his first year as a working professional

When he began job hunting, Kondo was uncertain about whether he should continue competing as an athlete, but Coach Isobe’s words struck a chord: “It’s easy to quit, but is that what you really want?” Kondo decided to challenge himself once again.

Once he began working, Kondo could only manage to practice twice a week. “I raised the quality of practice within the limited amount of time available to me. My concentration rose with each shot I fired. I lost weight, but my basic physical fitness increased.”

Kondo also became mentally stronger. In his first year as a working professional, he gained a place in the 2017 Ehime National Sports Festival. “Through work, I gained a wide range of experiences and became mentally stronger. Previously, I used to shake with nervousness, but now I enjoy the stress.”

Kondo won third place in the 50-Meter Rifle 3 Positions (120 shots) event and first place in the 50-meter Rifle Prone event at the 2019 Western Japan Rifle Shooting Championship. He placed fifth in the same three positions event at the Ibaragi National Sports Festival. Kondo was expected to do well in 2020, but competitions ended up being canceled one after another due to the new coronavirus. “There is still a chance. Rifle shooting is a sport of continuity. Results are achieved through the continuous effort one puts in.” Kondo is aiming to join Japan’s national team.

Kenji Kondo’s philosophy

Never forget the sense of gratitude and enjoy the competition