Shozo Sasahara

Shozo Sasahara

Photograph of Sasahara at the 1956 Olympics, signed by him
Personal information
Born	(1929-07-28) July 28, 1929 Yamagata, Japan
Alma mater	Chuo University
Sport
Sport	Freestyle wrestling
Medal record Representing Japan Olympic Games 1956 Melbourne Featherweight World Wrestling Championships 1954 Tokyo -62 kg

Shozo Sasahara (left) and Osamu Watanabe (top-right)

Shozo Sasahara (笹原 正三, Sasahara Shōzō, born July 28, 1929) is a retired Japanese freestyle wrestler who won a world title in 1954 and an Olympics gold medal in 1956. He was the flag bearer for Japan at the 1956 Games. During his career Sasahara won approximately 200 bouts. After retiring from competitions he worked as a national coach. His trainees included Osamu Watanabe.

Sasahara is credited with designing "bound tennis" in 1980, which is a form of tennis played on a small-sized court. In 1981 he became the founding president of Japan Bound Tennis Association. Between 1989 and 2003 Sasahara was president of Japan Wrestling Association. For many years he also served as Vice-President of United World Wrestling (FILA), and was later named its Honorary Vice-president. In 2006 he was inducted to the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Books by Sasahara

• Scientific Approach to Wrestling. Chuo University Co-operation Press. 1960.
• Fundamentals of Scientific Wrestling. Taylor & Francis. 1968. ISBN 0800208013.
• FILA Wrestling Album: Free Style. FILA, Fédération internationale de lutte amateur. 1988.