Japanese Media Identifies Former Japan Women's Basketball Player
Netizens Suspect Tanaka Mamiko
American Major League Baseball (MLB) superstar and Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Dodgers) surprised fans with an unexpected marriage announcement, and Japanese media reported that Ohtani's wife, whose identity has not been disclosed, is a former Japanese women's basketball player.
On the 1st, Japanese media outlet 'News Post Seven' revealed that Ohtani's wife is a tall woman standing 180 cm, who started playing basketball in middle school and graduated from a prestigious private university as a former Japanese women's basketball player. The outlet also reported that she has competed on the world stage and has experience as a model. After leaving her corporate team last year and retiring, she moved to the United States and is known to have deleted her social media accounts.
The appearance of Ohtani and a woman (right circle) captured in the LA Dodgers spring camp training video [Image source=X capture]
In response, Japanese netizens speculate that the woman identified by the media is Mamiko Tanaka (28). Tanaka graduated from Waseda University in Japan and played as a center for the Japanese women's professional basketball team 'Fujitsu Red Wave' in 2019. In August 2021, she was also selected as a candidate for the Japanese national team but retired after the 2022?2023 season.
There have also been claims that a woman believed to be Tanaka appeared in Ohtani's training videos. The footage seems to have been taken at the Dodgers' camp, showing a woman watching Ohtani train from a slight distance. Tanaka fits the description of Ohtani's ideal type, as he has stated that he prefers someone tall, diligent, and possessing positive energy.
On the 29th of last month, Ohtani made a surprise marriage announcement on his Instagram, and on the 1st (Korean time), ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training held at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, he faced the American and Japanese press. He said, "My wife is an ordinary Japanese person," adding, "I can't specify the exact time, but we met 3 to 4 years ago and got engaged last year." He continued, "I wanted to announce the marriage before the regular season started," and "I have completed the paperwork and am announcing it now." When asked if there was a particular reason for announcing the marriage, Ohtani jokingly replied, "Whether I get married or not, there will be noise, so I announced it to focus on baseball." However, he did not disclose any personal details about his wife at this event.
In December last year, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million (933.8 billion KRW) contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He met expectations by hitting a home run in his first spring training game on the 28th and is scheduled to pitch in the upcoming Major League Baseball Seoul Series next month. Due to right elbow surgery in September last year, he is expected to focus solely on batting this season.
Meanwhile, in his first game after the marriage announcement on the 2nd (Korean time), held at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, Ohtani played as the second designated hitter in the 2024 MLB spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians, recording 1 hit, 1 RBI, and 2 walks in 1 at-bat.
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