Winning a gold medal at the cheerleading world championships, the trust and respect that connects these two as they strive for even greater heights

Niwa Yoshihiko and Shibata Takeshi, both students from our university, represented Japan at the 2024 FISU (International University Sports Federation) World University Cheerleading Championships held in Croatia in August, and were crowned world champions in the doubles hip-hop division. At the world championships, the two captivated the audience with their splendid acrobatic skills and well-coordinated combinations. Drawing on their mutual trust and respect, the two competed against the world in pursuit of their own performance. We spoke to them about the appeal of the sport and their feelings about competing on the world stage.

Congratulations on your gold medal at the world championships! What kind of competition is the FISU World University Cheerleading Championships that you both participated in? Also, what kind of competition is the doubles hip hop division?

Niwa: The FISU World University Cheerleading Championships is an international competition where representatives from universities in 14 countries and regions around the world compete to show off their skills. There are categories such as "cheerleading" and "performance cheer," and the doubles hip hop category in which we competed is a part of performance cheer. Doubles hip hop has a different atmosphere from the "cheerleading" that most people imagine, and is characterized by dance that incorporates street-style rhythms and movements. It combines regular hip hop dance with acrobatic moves typical of cheerleading, so I think it's appealing in that it has a stronger appealing element.

Shibata-san: Performance cheer has a wide range of expression, and emphasis is placed on acrobatics, combinations between two people, and flexibility. Although doubles hip hop is a street style, it also has elements of "cheer" that express encouragement and fun to the audience, and we are conscious of facial expressions as part of the performance.

How did the two of you decide to team up?

Shibata: I met Niwa in the dance club in high school, and we have both been members of a dance team called "WORLD WINGS 2WDC" since we retired from the club in our third year of high school. We formed a doubles team after the coaches of that team approached us. We took over the baton from our high school and university seniors, Masaki Matsuo (graduated from Faculty of Letters in 2019) and Koichi Omoto (graduated from Faculty of Education in 2019).

Niwa: Matsuo and Omoto are great seniors who have been world champions in the doubles hip-hop division many times. Even before we were approached, Shibata and I were aware that they were people we should aspire to be, so we thought that if we were to pair up in doubles, it would have to be Shibata, who we've been working with for so long.

What do you find interesting and difficult about dancing together?

Shibata-san: When our movements are beautifully synchronized, it's so impressive that even we think, "Wow!" It's fun. Our strength is the high degree of synchronization in our acrobatics, so we focus on showcasing that.

Niwa: I think the interesting thing about doubles is that two people can seriously exchange opinions and pursue the dance that they want to do.

Shibata: The difficult thing is that there are only two of us on stage, so if we make a mistake it's immediately obvious. There's always that tension of being watched (laughs).

Niwa: That's true (laughs). In a team competition, the tension is dispersed, but in doubles, there's only Shibata next to me. Because there's only each other, I try to treat Shibata with the respect he deserves as a dancer.

Shibata: We share the same cheerful personality, but we also have many differences. However, we share the same nuances in how to dance and the direction of the dance we want to do, so we can discuss things thoroughly. I trust Niwa from the bottom of my heart, and I think that's why we can perform in perfect harmony.

The two competed in the 2024 ICU (International Cheer Union) World Cheerleading Championships held in Florida, USA in April, and won a silver medal in their first world competition.

Niwa: I've always been aiming to be number one in the world, so when it was announced that I was in second place, I was really disappointed. I learned firsthand that it's not easy to become number one in the world. But the disappointment was only for a moment. I was immediately overcome with emotion, thinking, "It's amazing to be able to dance in this place," and gratitude for being able to dance with Shibata on the world stage. I wanted to thank not only my partner Shibata, but also the manager, the coach, my fellow Japanese representatives who cheered for me at the venue, and everyone who cheered for me in Japan.

Shibata: The first thing I thought was "I'm happy." I was really happy to be able to stand on the world stage with Niwa, which we had been aiming for, and I was also happy to be able to report our gratitude and our hard work to everyone who supported us through the results. However, since we were chasing after Matsuo and Omoto and aiming to be the best in the world, I still feel regret when I see the silver medal. In this tournament, we were conscious of delivering our performance to the judges. I think we were able to achieve that goal, but the winning Thai team, in addition to appealing to the judges, used movements and music that involved the audience in the venue. I learned that in order to win at the world level, appealing to the judges is a given, but unity with the venue is also an important point.

Niwa: Of course, it's important to show the style of dance we want to do, and that's what motivates us to dance, but it's not enough to become the best in the world. That's something I realized only by participating in the World Championships.

Shibata: Niwa and I talked about how "We didn't win because we were given a chance to aim higher. Let's change the color of the medal to gold at the next world championships." I think the silver medal was a good starting point for him to set a new goal and take on the challenge.

[Video] Performance at the 2024 ICU World Cheerleading Championships

Performance at the 2024 ICU World Cheerleading Championships

And then, you finally achieved your dream of becoming world champion at the FISU World University Cheerleading Championships. How do you feel right now?

Niwa: I was able to win the world championship thanks to the enthusiastic support from everyone around me until the very end of the tournament. I can't thank everyone enough for their support. I'm still inexperienced as an athlete, so I'd like to set new goals and continue to work hard so that I can move forward even further.

Shibata: Thanks to the support of so many people, we were able to dance happily until the end. We also had many opportunities to interact with athletes from other countries. I am really happy to be able to make friends from all over the world through dance. During the three months since the world championships in April, we have been challenging ourselves with different choreography, music, and costumes, and there have been many difficult and painful experiences. However, the support we received from so many people gave us a strong push forward. As a student of Soka University, I am honored to have won the world championship.

How do you usually practice?

Shibata-san: We practice at the university about three days a week according to our schedules. Our team is based in Osaka, so we take an overnight bus to Osaka twice a month on the weekends to join the team's joint practice.

Was it difficult to balance your studies and practice?

Shibata-san: When I went to Osaka for joint practice, I took my PC with me and worked on my university assignments in the middle of the night after practice. On Monday morning, I would take a night bus back to Tokyo from Osaka and attend my first class.

Niwa: In my first year, I was cramming too much with classes, assignments, club activities, and dance practice, and to be honest, it didn't go well at times. Now I'm better at managing my schedule and I think I'm able to balance my studies and life stably. I'm the kind of person who gets energized when I come to university, so the reason I'm able to balance my studies and life is because of the support of my friends at university.

Shibata-san: My friends at university tell me, "You're amazing!" and "We're rooting for you!", so even when I'm feeling down I want to attend classes and work hard at dancing. I really feel that I'm where I am today thanks to the support of my friends and family.

Niwa: Everyone told me from the bottom of their hearts, "You're amazing." Even before the competition, my friends encouraged me every day, saying, "Any path you and Niwa take will be the right one. So have confidence in yourself. Just have fun!" This gave me a lot of strength.

Lastly, please give a message to your juniors who are aiming to enter Soka University.

Niwa-san: Soka University is a university where students can spend their time freely. My friends and I are free to challenge ourselves to do what we like, such as studying, club activities, extracurricular activities, etc. There are many people with different backgrounds, including international students, on campus, so I hope you will enroll here and meet many friends who have things that you don't have.

Shibata-san: The appeal of Soka University is that students study with big goals and dreams, and there are many friends, seniors, and juniors who sincerely support those goals and dreams. And each student is grateful to their friends, parents, and environment, and takes on various challenges. Soka University is the best school that values "people" everywhere!