Latest news with #Endoh
Hamilton Spectator
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
After battling leukemia, Tsubasa Endoh signs one-day contract to retire as TFC player
TORONTO - Tsubasa Endoh comes full circle Saturday when he retires as a Toronto FC player. After being diagnosed with acute undifferentiated leukemia in December 2021, the 31-year-old winger from Japan had a dream. 'Every step of the treatment, every setback, the time that I had to spend in the hospital, I always dreamed of coming back to play here, as a TFC player, at BMO Field,' said Endoh, who spent six seasons (2016-21) with Toronto. But while his leukemia is in remission, it has taken a toll on his body — and he has not reached the five-year milestone. Time for Plan B. Toronto announced Friday that it has signed Endoh to a one-day contract to officially retire as a TFC player. Endoh will be honoured before Saturday's game against Atlanta United, delivering the match ball. 'It is truly a special moment for Toronto FC to have Tsubasa come back and officially retire as a Red,' Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement. 'The club wanted to give him this recognition for all his contributions over six years and celebrate his career.' When Endoh entered Toronto's training centre Thursday, he was greeted by players and staff lined up in the lobby. 'That really gave me goosebumps. That shows what this club is about,' he said. 'It's all about the people who you work with.' After four seasons at the University of Maryland, the Japanese youth international was taken by Toronto in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. After his TFC contract expired following the 2021 season. Endoh signed with Melbourne City FC in Australia's A-League in early 2022. Later that year, he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy reserve side, scoring twice on his debut. It was while in L.A., that his body started malfunctioning. Blood work showed an alarming white blood cell count. A trip to the ER turned into an eight-day hospital stay during which he was told he may have cancer. Endoh returned to Japan to be with family, and it was there that he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. The five-foot-six Endoh played at 146 pounds and, while still sporting a smile, looks a little more slight these days. Asked about his health these days, Endoh manages to be both upbeat and realistic having already had to deal with a relapse. 'It's OK,' he said, before listing some of the issues he is dealing with. They include chronic GvHDs (graft-versus-host disease), a systemic disorder occurring when immune cells from transplanted tissue recognize the recipient's body as foreign and attack its cells. This works: He has survived four rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a bone-marrow transplant. It has led to prolonged hospital stays in Japan. COVID protocols and the fear of his immune system being compromised made hospital visits difficult. His last round of chemo lasted eight weeks and he had no visitors. 'You spend so much time alone … It's not easy,' he said. 'The silver lining was to get all the support from TFC fans and the Galaxy, the guys from Maryland.' Leukemia and its treatment have taken a toll on his immune system, opening the door to other nasties, from pneumonia to COVID. Most recently, he has been suffering from debilitating body cramps. 'From the outside, I look fine and I can live like a normal life. But inside of my body there's a lot going on. It's not easy to live day-to-day,' he confessed. He is on 15 different medications, taking 20-25 pills daily. It will likely be that way the rest of his life. He suffers from fascia inflammation (fascia is the thin cover of tissue that holds muscles in place), which means picking something up on the floor can be difficult because his muscles tighten so much. He sometimes has to stop typing when his fingers cramp. Putting on socks is painfully hard. 'Those are the little things that add up,' he said. 'But this is my life now. I try not to focus on negative things in life. It's what it is. You just have to adapt and accept it.' He is making the most of it. Living in Tokyo with Australian-Japanese fiancée Jamie Shoshana Kats, Endoh is halfway through his master's in international sport management at the Global Institute of Sport. He works out the best he can, usually after a morning coffee. Endoh makes a point of thanking the head of iDrinkCoffee, a Canadian company that manufactures espresso machines and coffee-makers. The owner, a generous TFC fan, shipped a deluxe espresso machine to Japan for him. It's just one example of the support Endoh has received from friends and former teammates at Toronto, the Galaxy and Maryland. 'It's been surreal,' he said with a smile. 'That's the reason why I could keep going.' Endoh scored 10 goals and added five assists in 80 appearances for Toronto across all competitions. He was part of TFC's treble-winning side in 2017, helping the club to the Canadian Championship, Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup. He also won the Voyageurs Cup in 2016 and '18 and set the franchise record for fastest goal when he scored 29 seconds into Toronto's 3-2 win over visiting Atlanta in June 2019. 'I love Tsubasa. He is class through and through,' said Toronto coach Robin Fraser. 'I scouted him in college. I was here wen we brought him in. He is a wonderfully technical player. Gosh, you can't even tell if he's right-footed or left-footed, he's that competent with both. 'But as a teammate and as a person, he is top- top- top-class. And I've enjoyed every minute that I've spent with him ... For what he's been going through, he's been in all of our thoughts for this whole time.' —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
After battling leukemia, Tsubasa Endoh signs one-day contract to retire as TFC player
TORONTO – Tsubasa Endoh comes full circle Saturday when he retires as a Toronto FC player. After being diagnosed with acute undifferentiated leukemia in December 2021, the 31-year-old winger from Japan had a dream. 'Every step of the treatment, every setback, the time that I had to spend in the hospital, I always dreamed of coming back to play here, as a TFC player, at BMO Field,' said Endoh, who spent six seasons (2016-21) with Toronto. But while his leukemia is in remission, it has taken a toll on his body — and he has not reached the five-year milestone. Time for Plan B. Toronto announced Friday that it has signed Endoh to a one-day contract to officially retire as a TFC player. Endoh will be honoured before Saturday's game against Atlanta United, delivering the match ball. 'It is truly a special moment for Toronto FC to have Tsubasa come back and officially retire as a Red,' Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement. 'The club wanted to give him this recognition for all his contributions over six years and celebrate his career.' When Endoh entered Toronto's training centre Thursday, he was greeted by players and staff lined up in the lobby. 'That really gave me goosebumps. That shows what this club is about,' he said. 'It's all about the people who you work with.' After four seasons at the University of Maryland, the Japanese youth international was taken by Toronto in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. After his TFC contract expired following the 2021 season. Endoh signed with Melbourne City FC in Australia's A-League in early 2022. Later that year, he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy reserve side, scoring twice on his debut. It was while in L.A., that his body started malfunctioning. Blood work showed an alarming white blood cell count. A trip to the ER turned into an eight-day hospital stay during which he was told he may have cancer. Endoh returned to Japan to be with family, and it was there that he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. The five-foot-six Endoh played at 146 pounds and, while still sporting a smile, looks a little more slight these days. Asked about his health these days, Endoh manages to be both upbeat and realistic having already had to deal with a relapse. 'It's OK,' he said, before listing some of the issues he is dealing with. They include chronic GvHDs (graft-versus-host disease), a systemic disorder occurring when immune cells from transplanted tissue recognize the recipient's body as foreign and attack its cells. This works: He has survived four rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a bone-marrow transplant. It has led to prolonged hospital stays in Japan. COVID protocols and the fear of his immune system being compromised made hospital visits difficult. His last round of chemo lasted eight weeks and he had no visitors. 'You spend so much time alone … It's not easy,' he said. 'The silver lining was to get all the support from TFC fans and the Galaxy, the guys from Maryland.' Leukemia and its treatment have taken a toll on his immune system, opening the door to other nasties, from pneumonia to COVID. Most recently, he has been suffering from debilitating body cramps. 'From the outside, I look fine and I can live like a normal life. But inside of my body there's a lot going on. It's not easy to live day-to-day,' he confessed. He is on 15 different medications, taking 20-25 pills daily. It will likely be that way the rest of his life. He suffers from fascia inflammation (fascia is the thin cover of tissue that holds muscles in place), which means picking something up on the floor can be difficult because his muscles tighten so much. He sometimes has to stop typing when his fingers cramp. Putting on socks is painfully hard. 'Those are the little things that add up,' he said. 'But this is my life now. I try not to focus on negative things in life. It's what it is. You just have to adapt and accept it.' He is making the most of it. Living in Tokyo with Australian-Japanese fiancée Jamie Shoshana Kats, Endoh is halfway through his master's in international sport management at the Global Institute of Sport. He works out the best he can, usually after a morning coffee. Endoh makes a point of thanking the head of iDrinkCoffee, a Canadian company that manufactures espresso machines and coffee-makers. The owner, a generous TFC fan, shipped a deluxe espresso machine to Japan for him. It's just one example of the support Endoh has received from friends and former teammates at Toronto, the Galaxy and Maryland. Currently on hiatus A review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe. 'It's been surreal,' he said with a smile. 'That's the reason why I could keep going.' Endoh scored 10 goals and added five assists in 80 appearances for Toronto across all competitions. He was part of TFC's treble-winning side in 2017, helping the club to the Canadian Championship, Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup. He also won the Voyageurs Cup in 2016 and '18 and set the franchise record for fastest goal when he scored 29 seconds into Toronto's 3-2 win over visiting Atlanta in June 2019. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025
Borneo Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sarawak poised to become regional hydrogen hub
(From left) Lee, Chieng, Endoh, and Protasova during the forum discussion at H2EF. – Photo by Aileen Yap KUCHING (May 13): Sarawak has all the right ingredients to become a regional hydrogen hub, with Bintulu Port poised to play a key role in exporting green hydrogen to international markets. Deloitte Partner Ryan Chieng said Sarawak's strategic location, abundant renewable energy, and proactive government support place it in a strong position to develop a full-fledged hydrogen ecosystem, comparable to the Hydrogen Valley in Amsterdam. 'Sarawak is very blessed with cheap hydropower, and we are also very blessed that we have a far-sighted government where all the ecosystems are already or going to be in place bit by bit,' he said during forum discussion at the Hydrogen Economy Forum (H2EF) 2025 here today. The H2EF 2025 logo. The forum discussion, titled 'Hydrogen in Transit: Challenges & Breakthroughs,' featured Chieng, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Chief Country Representative Junto, Hexagon Purus Export Sales Director Yulia Protasova, and moderator as well as Curtin University Malaysia Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Vincent Lee, Chieng also noted that Bintulu Port, currently a major gateway for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, could be leveraged and enhanced to support large-scale hydrogen logistics, positioning Sarawak as a critical node in the global green energy supply chain. Highlighting the importance of parallel development, Chieng noted that infrastructure, policy, and demand must grow in tandem for hydrogen adoption to succeed. 'We need to build the demand and the infrastructure side by side. Without one, the other can't take off,' he said, adding that Sarawak is already ahead of many jurisdictions in this regard. Lee pointed out that Sarawak's existing logistics and energy assets, including its hydropower plants, road networks, and port access, offer a clear pathway to becoming a full-fledged hydrogen economy. 'We have the key components, now it's about integration,' he remarked. As for Endoh, he acknowledged Japan's pioneering efforts in methanization but emphasised that Sarawak has a significant advantage in terms of cost competitiveness and cleaner energy. 'Maybe this answer should be replied to by Japanese trading houses, but from the shipping industry's perspective, we are eager to engage as both buyers and transporters of hydrogen. 'Japan has been exploring hydrogen production, but the reality is that Japan's energy costs are much higher due to reliance on imports and longer delivery distances. 'Sarawak, with its abundant hydropower and cleaner energy sources, has a real advantage,' he said. Endoh added that while Japan is a key player in hydrogen technology, Sarawak's energy resources could make it a more cost-effective and sustainable source of fuel in the long term. 'As a fuel buyer, we are keeping a close eye on Sarawak's developments,' he said. green hydrogen Hydrogen Economy Forum hydrogen hub Ryan Chieng
