BY RYUSUKE HIRAI THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

With the Asian Games just around the corner, softball star Yukiko Ueno will wear the Japanese national team uniform for the first time in two years since the summer of 2008, when she rocked the nation with her gold-medal winning pitching at the Beijing Olympics.

In the two days leading up to that Olympic final, she threw 413 pitches over three games and helped her team capture the much-sought-after gold. Then, she disappeared from the spotlight of the national team.

One of the reasons was to obtain certification as an official instructor for the Japan Sports Association (JASA).

"I don't have a clear idea of what I want to do after I retire from softball, but I want to eventually become a coach," she says of her brief disappearance, adding: "Another reason was to clear my mind on many issues."

The Beijing Olympics ended in a glorious victory for Japan, but it wasn't all smooth sailing behind the scenes. Ueno did not trust team officials 100 percent, and the communication between the players and officials was far from ideal, in Ueno's opinion.

"As a team, I was concerned that we wouldn't be able to win under those circumstances," she says, looking back.

There was massive pressure to be No. 1 in the world at the Beijing Olympics because it had already been determined that softball would no longer be an official Olympic sport from the next Games. Ueno felt the full scope of that pressure.

Now, she can reflect on her thoughts more calmly.

"My goals are different now, so I'm OK with whoever the team officials are," she said. "(The Asian Games are) a comprehensive competition, and it's important for me to represent Japan."

But she says she feels completely different in her heart compared with the 2008 Olympics. Following the Beijing Games, Ueno continued pitching in the Japan Softball League and was chosen as the MVP for two consecutive seasons.

She also had time to think about what she could do to get softball back as an Olympic sport. Despite not feeling comfortable with public speaking, Ueno actively gave lectures and softball clinics, and urged people to "never give up, even if you take the long and winding road or even if you falter. As long as you never give up, you will achieve your dreams."

She also believes that her mission now is to train the next ace pitcher for Team Japan.

"I'm not adamant about me always pitching for the team. If there are opportunities, I would like to get younger athletes to take the mound," she says. "Now I feel more strongly about playing softball that will meet everyone's expectations, rather than just winning games."

With the Japan Softball League nearing the end of its season, Ueno's team is vying for a third consecutive championship. As Renesas Electronics Takasaki's ace pitcher, Ueno throws various types of pitches as fast as 120 kph using her 174-cm tall, 72-kg frame.

The determined pitcher we saw at the Olympics is still alive and kicking, and that is good news for Japan.