2023-06-11 07:00:00
One of the best things regarding diplomatic work is to meet valuable people, compatriots or foreigners who contribute and serve their communities, as occurs in the distant state of Nebraska in the United Stateswhere a Colombian university professor resides, the Docente Yuriko Doku Rebolledowho coordinator of Latin American students at the University of Nebraska forks leader of the Hispanic community in Omahathe main city of the state.
Professor Yuriko has been a permanent collaborator of the Colombian Consulate in Chicagowhich covers the State of Nebraska and when I had the opportunity to serve in that office, thanks to that relationship I discovered that she was daughter of a Colombian sports legendhe great Jose Kaoru Doku Burmese (1924 – 2022), an essential man, who was the last survivor of the first Colombian professional soccer championa veteran of the Korean War, in which Colombia was part of the legion of countries that defended democracy in that country, apart from other traits that made him an essential man.
One fine day I suggested to Yuriko that we do a virtual talk, in tribute to his fatherwho at the time lived in Barranquilla and thanks to the collaboration of Colombia Nos Une (requires mention of Carolina Soto and Daniela Perdomowho worked at that moment in that dependency of the Chancellery), we made a very endearing programpossibly the last tribute in life that Don José received before his unfortunate passing on December 20, 2022. Now is the time to remember a man that Colombian soccer fans, especially the most veteran ones, will remember with a nickname, “casimoto”a name that became legendary on the courts of our country.
It is Colombian athlete and soldierwhich had writer’s vocationnation in Usiacurimunicipality of Colombian department of the Atlanticbeing son of Mr. Toshio Doku and Mrs. Candelaria BermejoMr. Toshio was one of the first Japanese to arrive in Colombia and settle in the country. When José was very young, the family moved to Barranquilla, the capital of the department, to settle and it was the city in which he would live a good part of his life and where he finally He would pass away at the age of 98..
José Kaoru Doku Bermejo, in the formation of Santa Fe, the team to which he belonged. (External source)
It was precisely in Barranquilla, where José he would begin his sports career as a footballer in 1941although two years later he would enlist in the The national army and would be assigned to Leticiacapital of the department of Amazonasat the other end of the country, would later arrive at Bogota in 1948 to become professional player on the team Santa Feleaving champion in the first Colombian soccer championship, was in the capital club until 1951, when he made a transcendental decision, to return to the Navy to volunteer among the members of the Colombian Battalion who fought in the Korean war. Although it must be said that he never went into battle, because his job was as a clerk and he took advantage of the experience to visit japan and meet his paternal grandmother.
Squad of Millionaires of which Jose Kaoru Doku Bermejo was part. (External source)
After the war, thanks to the doctor, goalkeeper and coach Gabriel Ochoa UribeJose Kaoru Doku Bermejo would arrive in 1956 a millionaires (the team of the soul of the person who writes this), where he would end his professional career as a footballer in 1957, being one of the cases of players who marked an era in the two teams from the country’s capital. “casimoto” (nickname invented by a legendary announcer of Costa Rican origin, Carlos Arturo Rueda), was a Outstanding defender with goal-scoring abilitywhich was not usual for those years and he always played with a headscarfwhich gave it an exotic and attractive appearance.
One of the reasons for having volunteered in the Colombian Battalion that participated in the Korean War, was to have an aenclosure to the continent of origin of his father and be able to travel to Japan. Thanks to teacher Yuriko and her brother MarvinI learned that Don José reached the rank of Technical Chief Petty Officer and was responsible for written communications, because he was a “writing technician”. In other words, we are talking regarding a man who liked to write and precisely he left the drafts of what will be a book with his memories and anecdotesregarding a glorious time for Colombia.
Personally, it was very satisfying to have been able to carry out a tribute in life to a man who gave so much to Colombia in sports and as a public servant. For those who want to see that special presentation, you can do so at the following link.
I hope you enjoy it and for those who did not know Don José Kaoru Doku, you can discover in the words of his daughter YurikoTo her and the whole family, the permanent gratitude and affection.
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Dixon Moya is a Colombian diplomat by career, a writer by vocation, he runs a blog in the Colombian newspaper El Espectador with his literary surnames, in which he writes a bit of everything.: http://blogs.elespectador.com/lineas-de-arena/ On Twitter (at very rare times) he trills like @dixonmedellin.
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