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The Mainichi Business
Vocabulary:
- sponsorship /SPON-ser-ship/
- pre-order /PRE-AWR-der/
- exceed /ik-SEED/
- contract /kon-trakt/
- assume /UH-soom/
[noun] an act of supporting a person, organization, or activity with the use of money
The sponsorship for sports this year has surprisingly increased.
[noun] an agreement to sell something before it is finished or available
The book you have been waiting for is now available for pre-orders.
[verb] to be greater or to go past an allowed limit
Your performance exceeded the given criteria.
[noun] a formal agreement between two different people or groups, or the agreement itself
If you signed a contract then you are obliged to comply accordingly.
[verb] to accept something to be true without question or proof
Because of the season, it is only assumed that the number of tourists will increase.
Naomi Osaka, a rising tennis star who won the Australian Open and No.1 in women’s gets more sponsors. This attracts eight companies for sponsorship which is double the number from a year ago. She first secured the Grand Slam singles at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open when she competed against Serena Williams and won in the 2018 U.S. Open final. Nissan, one of Osaka’s current sponsors, has named Osaka as its brand ambassador and released the “Naomi Osaka model” GT-R sports car for pre-order sales in 2018. The sports car exceeded the amount planned for purchases. One of Nissan’s officials explained that the ‘Naomi effect’ has continued to have a positive impact.
Meanwhile, Yonex sports business, which is not only known for badminton but also in tennis, made a professional contract with Osaka in 2014. This resulted in making more contracts with junior tennis players. This may result in the increase of sales as the number of children taking an interest in tennis rises. An expert in tennis assumes the number of companies that take an interest in sponsorship will increase not just for individuals but also for tournaments.
Meanwhile, Yonex sports business, which is not only known for badminton but also in tennis, made a professional contract with Osaka in 2014. This resulted in making more contracts with junior tennis players. This may result in the increase of sales as the number of children taking an interest in tennis rises. An expert in tennis assumes the number of companies that take an interest in sponsorship will increase not just for individuals but also for tournaments.
True or False:
- Naomi Osaka gained the World’s No. 1 Women’s singles ranking.
- Osaka’s model of the GT-R sports car surpassed its expected presales in 2018.
- Yonex’s sports business only focuses on badminton.
- A lot of children became interested in tennis because of Naomi’s success.
- An increase in number of interested companies to sponsor tennis players and tournaments is expected.
Discussion Questions:
- In your opinion, what is the ‘Naomi effect’?
- Why do you think Naomi became popular in Japan?
- What makes the children interested in tennis? Explain your answer.
- Do you think Japan needs more people like Naomi Osaka to keep the youth engaged in sports? Explain your answer.
- Which sport is now more popular in Japan and how did it become popular?
Express Your Opinion:
- “Life without fame can be a good life, but fame without life is no life at all”. – Clive James
- “Fame is something that is bestowed upon you because of success. Success is something you have to chase”. – Noel Gallagher
- “Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning”. – Robert Kiyosaki