Haruka Saito

Haruka Saito

Hitachi Sundiva of Japan Softball League, 2019
Personal information
Native name	斎藤 春香, Saitō Haruka
Nationality	Japanese
Born	(1970-03-14) March 14, 1970 (age 54) Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Sport
Country	Japan
Sport	Softball
Medal record Olympic Games 2000 Sydney Softball 2004 Athens Softball

Haruka Saito (斎藤 春香, Saitō Haruka) (born March 14, 1970, in Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan) is a Japanese softball player. She played in the Hitachi softball club from 1994 to 2006[1] and represented Japan as part of the Japan women's national softball team in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games.[2] In 2000 and 2004, she played in the teams that won the bronze and silver medals, respectively.

Retirement

Following her final Olympics appearance in 2004, Saitō continued at Hitachi softball club as a playing coach until 2006, when she became the coach for the national team.[1] She led them to the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.[3] In 2011, national teammate, Reika Utsugi, succeeded her as the national team coach.

She currently serves as the technical vice chair on the Japan Softball Association.[4] On 26 June, she was selected as a board director on the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), a move that doubled the number of women directors.[5]

References

1. 退任者紹介 [Retiree Introduction]. Hitachi Softball Club. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
2. "Haruka Saito Biography and Olympic Results". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
3. Ong, Charles (19 May 2015). "Softball teams pitch their ambitions much higher". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
4. "Board Members of Japan Softball Association". Japan Softball Association. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
5. 斎藤氏ら新理事就任＝女性理事６人に倍増－ＪＯＣ [Haruka Saito is a new female director appointment. Number of women directors increase to 6 on the JOC board]. Jiji Press. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.