Michimasa Soyeshima

Michimasa Soyeshima studied at Cambridge University. He founded the Japanese Amateur Basketball Association in 1930 and was its first President. He later had a major role in Japan’s successful bid, and subsequent abandonment, of the 1940 Tokyo Olympics. Soyeshima and fellow IOC Member Yotaro Sugimura lobbied Benito Mussolini to drop a planned Rome bid for the 1940 Olympics, and Soyeshima went to England in July 1936 and convinced the British Prime Minister and London Lord Mayor not bid for the 1940 Games. After it became impossible for Tokyo to host the 1940 Olympics, Soyeshima was a joint signer of the cable sent to President Henri de Baillet-Latour which advised the IOC of the Japanese decision to relinquish their host duties. Soyeshima served on the IOC as a Member from 1934-48.