Twin brothers who grew up playing football together in Niigata Prefecture are about to realize their childhood dream of debuting in the J-League at the same time.
Koki Kumakura, 22, has signed for J-League first division club Yokohama FC, while his twin brother, Kotatsu, will play for J2 outfit Ventforet Kofu.
“Seeing our family happy makes me glad that we both worked hard,” Kotatsu said recently.
Both played collegiate football for Nippon University after graduating from Maebashi Ikuei High School, a powerhouse of the sport in Gunma Prefecture.
Twin brothers Koki (L) and Kotatsu Kumakura pose while holding the mascots and wearing the uniforms of their respective J-League clubs, Yokohama FC and Ventforet Kofu, at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 10, 2025. (Kyodo)
While Koki is a left-footed player known for his playmaking and accurate ball delivery, Kotatsu is an attacker with a knack for scoring. They led their university to the quarterfinals of the national championships in their final fourth year.
Hailing from Gosen, a city of about 45,000 people in Niigata Prefecture, the twins started playing football at age 5, inspired by their two older brothers. They would compete one-on-one in the street near their home every day until sundown.
Kotatsu said those hours playing together were instrumental in developing the type of ball control that would eventually enable him to play at an elite level.
“Being able to do it better than everyone else gave me confidence,” he said.
Constant comparisons to one another were a source of inspiration for the pair, who dedicated themselves to strengthening themselves physically along with honing their skills through morning training sessions.
When the J-League season kicks off Friday, they will play for different teams for the first time.
“We want to work hard so that we can each be leading players on our teams,” Kotatsu said.
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This content is reposted from the source: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/02/51a5ea3f6fab-football-twin-brothers-set-to-kick-off-j-league-careers.html
