“In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com from The World Games 2025, World No.6 Watanabe Satomi opens up on her bold decision to leave Japan when she was 12 to pursue her squash ambitions and why she’s relishing the chance to raise her sport’s profile at LA28.

…/ “I wouldn’t be who I am”

Deciding on an elite junior squash academy in Malaysia, Watanabe packed her bags for her new life and school with great excitement.

Having already experienced high-quality squash in tournaments she had played in across the archipelago, she was eager to get into the throes of training. It wasn’t until after she arrived that the realities of her decision began to sink in.

“Once I got there, I just realised how hard it is to be on your own when you’re 12 and then trying to train when it’s not your first language,” the Japanese star says.

“I had to learn English first just to be able to communicate with people and make friends.”

With her school teaching also in English, Watanabe would begin each day teaching herself the language before heading off to lessons.

After a day of learning, from four o’clock in the afternoon, she would then begin squash training, before returning to bed to prepare for the start of the next day. It was a routine that she would stick to up to the age of 17 before moving back to Japan.

As difficult as it was to sacrifice her life, family and language at home, Watanabe is sure it shaped her for the better.

“The stuff that I learned in Malaysia… it’s my foundation,” she says. “How I play or how well I understand the game is probably all the foundation I learned was from Malaysia. So without that time in Malaysia, I wouldn’t be who I am, definitely.”

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