Player Interview: Kiyomi Honjigawa

Posted on 20. Sep, 2012 by Stephen Kennedy in Features

Hearts star Kiyomi has impressed me many times this season, often on the score sheet and banging on the door for the Stewart First Aid Training Player of the Match award, and only failing because of an awesome performance by the likes of Lynsay Anderson. Kiyomi is a player who uses pace and skill on the ball to cause havoc for the opposition and of course entertains supporters in the process.

I asked her to complete our online interview and she agreed to do so. I am delighted with the result of the interview and I am positive you will enjoy her responses too.

Image courtesy of Hearts

Name: Kiyomi Honjigawa

Age: 20

Home town: Dalkeith

Employment/Education: Student, Architectural Engineering at Heriot Watt

Team: Hearts Women FC

Position: Left Wing

Time at club: Three and a half years

Previous clubs: Musselburgh Windsor FC

Team supported: Only Hearts Women!!

Favourite food and drink: Anything and Everything … except prawns

Favourite TV show or film: Joseph and the Technicoloured Dream Coat.

How did you get involved in football: I was always a tom boy at primary – with the sleek back hair and baggy jeans. I started playing at that time as I cried at ballet. Our primary team won countless inter-school games and through those I met a girl who Tam, my coach for the past nine years, had brought into his newly formed Musselburgh Windsor Girls Section. I tagged along to a training session and the rest is history!

Who were your heroes that inspired you to play the game: In all honest truth I don’t have any heroes… my brother was always good at his football, playing for both Hibs and Rangers at a young age, so he was most probably some form of inspiration!

What is your best memory from the game: I have so many good memories from football, it’s too hard to choose from. However, I can’t not mention winning our League Cup this year in June past. Best day of the year so far by miles!

And your worst: Worst? Getting relegated from the First Division was a pretty bad occasion. However personally, one memory that stands out for me was missing a penalty that put us out the Scottish Cup. I was young at the time, Under 15s maybe. It was only the first or second round, but I got so nervous! We were down to sudden death against Hibs, I missed and then thought it was the end of the world! I still get teased about it to this day.

What is your greatest achievement in the game: At Musselburgh Windsor we won two consecutive leagues – our U17′s league and first year at Women’s football (Second Division).

What would you like to achieve: Simple. Promotion this year!!!!!

Every fancied coaching/management: I’ve never thought about it but I suppose so. Although i’m too much of a joker to be authoritative!

Which team is the most difficult you have played against and why: Since coming up to the Women’s league, games where we get drawn a Premier team in the Scottish are obviously difficult matches, but good experience none the less.

Which current player impresses you the most and why (Ladies/Mens): Cheesy as it sounds, my club captain just now is impressing me.  She is out of the game at the moment with an injury, now being almost a year since it happened and it will probably be another year until she is playing again. I’m not going to hear the end of this, but she’s dealt with the whole thing amazingly and that’s why she’s impressing me.

SWFitba: She impresses me too. Fantastic attitude and spirit.

What can be done to improve the status of the women’s game in Scotland: Invent a machine to change people’s attitudes toward the Women’s game.

What can SWFitba do better or add to what it does for the women’s game: Come and cover every single Hearts Women Game. It’s the place to be every Sunday!

SWFitba: You are not the first to make this request but unless someone comes up with a firm financial offer, it won’t happen

What do think about the current set up such as leagues or cups in the game, could it be improved: We’re trying out a new system just now… as there are four Second Division leagues and three spaces in the first division next year, there’ll be playoffs to round up the division and decide which three teams receive promotion. So if the outcome is right this year, then selfishly i think this system is excellent ha!

Who is the club’s party animal: Ah, difficult question. I think everybody at the club can party WELL. And it becomes one hell of a party when we’re all together and there is something to celebrate!

Who is the club’s comedian: Another difficult question! We can all make each other laugh. Not a training session goes by, when I’ve not worked out my abs and it’s not from doing sit-ups!

Tell us your funniest moment in the world of football: Funniest moment within a game? Ahhhh. It has to be between playing a friendly in Czech Republic and an injured player coming on, only to get smacked in the face with the ball and to be sent right back off again (it sounds harsh on paper but really – it was hilarious).

Secondly would be when playing a league game at Under 15s. The referee had given a penalty against us and our keeper at the time had made an outstanding safe. She then kicked the ball back up the park where it was collected by the opposition and kicked right back down toward our goal where it took one bounce over the keeper’s head and landed straight in the back of the net. A lot of stifled laughs along the sideline!

Tell us something about yourself we do not know: I’m the modern day Chirst. I can feed the 5000, turn water into wine and all that jazz.

SWFitba: Awesome interview. Thanks so much for taking the time to take part and for supporting the site.