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[Miyagi Prefecture] Professional sports in Miyagi Prefecture lead the Tohoku region! [Introduction to professional sports in the six Tohoku prefectures]
[Miyagi Prefecture] Professional sports in Miyagi Prefecture lead the Tohoku region! [Introduction to professional sports in the six Tohoku prefectures]
Professional sports teams based in Miyagi Prefecture include the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Vegalta Sendai of the J.League soccer team, and the Sendai 89ERS of basketball
Of these, the Golden Eagles, as their name suggests, are based in the six Tohoku prefectures
So I will cover that in a separate article instead of here
Vegalta Sendai (Football: Meiji Yasuda Life J League)
From Vegalta Sendai official Facebook page
This is a prestigious team that was the first in Tohoku to be promoted to J1 and has been in the top division for a total of 14 years
From the 2022 season, the team will be in J2 and is eagerly aiming to return to J1
What does Vegalta mean? What are the team colors?
From Vegalta Sendai official Facebook page
Sendai is famous for its Tanabata Festival, and the name "Vegalta" was coined to commemorate this by combining Vega, the princess who sprung up on either side of the Milky Way, and Altair, the star of the Milky Way
The team's main color is Vegalta Gold, which is the color of a shooting star and comes from the fact that gold was first mined in Miyagi Prefecture (Wakuya Town) in Japan
Other team colors include Vegalta Blue, the color of the galaxy, and Vegalta Red, which represents the desire to win and burning passion
The mascots are Vegatta and his sister Lutana
The cheerleaders, with a 20-year history, are the earliest professional sports cheerleading teams in Tohoku
The eagle on the emblem comes from the constellation Aquila, where Hikoboshi is located, and is said to be the "eagle that brings victory."
From Vegalta Sendai official Facebook page
Vegalta Sendai's progress so far
From Vegalta Sendai official Facebook page
The club's predecessor was the Tohoku Electric Power Soccer Club, which was founded in 1988, and was known as "Brummell Sendai" from 1994 to 1999
1999: Joined J2 when the J.League was divided into two divisions
2001: Finished second in J2 and was promoted to J1 for the first time
2003: Finished 15th out of 16 teams and was relegated to J2
2009: First J2 championship and promotion back to J1
2012: Finished as runner-up in the J1 League without ever finishing lower than third place
2021: Poor performance results in 19th place, resulting in relegation to J2
2022: After finishing second at the end of the first half of the season, they finish the season in seventh place
2023: As of April 23rd, they are in 14th place with 3 wins, 4 losses and 4 draws
Where is Vegalta Sendai's hometown?
From Vegalta Sendai official Facebook page
The team's home town is the entire Miyagi prefecture, with Sendai city at the center, and their home stadium is Yurtec Stadium Sendai in Nanakida Park in Izumi Ward, which has a capacity of 19,694 and is the only stadium in Tohoku that meets the J1 license. All of the spectator seats are covered by a roof, allowing for the cheers to reverberate and create a powerful atmosphere, and the team is also popular for its easy access, being just a four-minute walk from Izumi Chuo Station on the Sendai City Subway Namboku Line.
The 89ERS (Eighty-Niners) were one of the "original six" teams when the bj League was founded, and were the first professional team in Tohoku
It is said to have the most young female fans of any professional sports team in Sendai
After becoming a B League team, the team was relegated to the B2 East Division in its second year, but finished as runner-up in the 2021-22 season and was promoted back to the B1 East Division this season, and with five games remaining, it has been decided that the team will remain in B1
What does 89ERS mean? What are the team colors?
The team's hometown, Sendai City, was established in 1889 with the implementation of the Municipal System. In 1989, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary and became a designated city. As a result, the number "89" was chosen to symbolize Sendai, and the team was named "89ERS (Eighty-Niners)."
The team's main color is Niners Yellow, with a secondary color of Niners Black. The team character is a male lion named "Tina," born on August 9th, who aspires to become a professional basketball player
From the official Sendai 89ERS Facebook page
Tina's jersey number, 89, has been retired
The Sendai 89ERS' journey so far
From the official Sendai 89ERS Facebook page
The team has been a professional team since its founding, and when the B League was launched it was in the top category, B1, but was demoted to B2 after just one year
However, they have since achieved a series of good results and have returned to B1 this season
2006: Finished 4th in the first season of the bj League, but lost in the first playoff game
2011: The team suspended activities due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, and players were loaned out to other teams
2016: The B.League is launched and the team begins as a member of the B1 East Division
2017: Lost in the relegation playoffs in the 2016-17 season and relegated to the B2 East Division
2022: Following the previous year, the team will participate in the playoffs and advance to the finals, returning to B1 (runner-up in B21)
April 22, 2023: Remaining in B1 confirmed with five games remaining
Where is the Sendai 89ERS home arena?
From the official Sendai 89ERS Facebook page
The 5,000-seat "Xebio Arena Sendai" is located in the dome building on the west side of "Mori no Hiroba" in Asuto Nagamachi, Taihaku Ward, Sendai City
The dome building also houses indoor tennis courts, a covered futsal field, a basketball dome, and dining facilities, while the Xebio building on the south side of the plaza houses a fitness club and sporting goods stores such as Super Sports Xebio
Unlike public gymnasiums, this arena has VIP seating and food and drink can be freely arranged within the facility, making it suitable for a variety of events such as sports and live concerts
INFORMATION
Team name: Sendai 89ERS
Office address: S101, 1-4-30 Asutonagamachi, Taihaku-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
Mynavi Sendai Ladies (Soccer: Japan Women's Professional Soccer League.WE LEAGUE)
From Mynavi Sendai Ladies official Facebook page
This women's soccer team, whose home stadium is Vegalta Sendai's home stadium, Yurtec Stadium Sendai, began as Vegalta Sendai Ladies in 2012
Promoted to the Nadeshiko League in 2013!
They first participated in the Challenge League 2012, winning all their matches and being promoted to the Nadeshiko League in 2013
In 2017, a partnership agreement was signed with Mynavi and the team became "Mynavi Vegalta Sendai Ladies." When the WE League was launched in 2021, the team would join as "Mynavi Sendai Ladies." All members are professional players under contract, and the club colors are Mynavi Blue, Sendai Green, and Star Gold
INFORMATION
Team name: Mynavi Sendai Ladies
Office address: 1-1-2, Aketōri, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
All of these Miyagi Prefecture professional teams have experience competing in the top categories of their respective leagues and are leading professional sports in the Tohoku region with their high-level play
Additionally, there are soccer club teams such as Cobaltore Onagawa that are aiming to join the J.League, and it is expected that Miyagi will see the birth of professional teams in a variety of sports in the future
I'm a former Edokko man who loves Morioka and the six Tohoku prefectures, and I also love history, food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. I'll be introducing you to the interesting, delicious, and great things about Tohoku!
