Teizo Takeuchi

Teizo Takeuchi
Personal information
Full name	Teizo Takeuchi
Date of birth	November 6, 1908
Place of birth	Tokyo, Japan
Date of death	April 12, 1946 (aged 37)
Place of death	Amur Oblast, Soviet Union
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1928–1931	Tokyo Imperial University
Senior career*
Years	Team
	Tokyo Imperial University LB
National team
1930–1936	Japan
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Teizo Takeuchi (竹内悌三, Takeuchi Teizo, November 6, 1908 – April 12, 1946) was a Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team. Lighting designer Motoko Ishii is his daughter.

Biography[change | change source]

Takeuchi was born in Tokyo Metropolis on November 6, 1908. He played for Tokyo Imperial University LB which was consisted of his alma mater Tokyo Imperial University players and graduates.

In May 1930, when Takeuchi was a Tokyo Imperial University student, he was selected the Japan national team for Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo and Japan won the championship. At this competition, on May 25, he debuted against Philippines. In 1936, he was selected by Japan for 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and he played 2 games as Japan team captain. Japan completed a come-from-behind victory first game against Sweden. The first victory in Olympics for the Japan and the historic victory over one of the powerhouses became later known as "Miracle of Berlin" (ベルリンの奇跡) in Japan. In 2016, this team was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame. He played 4 games for Japan until 1936.

In 1944, Takeuchi served in the military for World War II and was detained in the Soviet Union following the war (Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union). On April 12, 1946, he died in a detention camp; the 20th POW camp in Siberia at the age of 37.^[1] In 2006, he was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame.