In the 1980 boxing film The Raging Bull, Robert De Niro’s character Jake LaMotta could reach the stars. However, his personal problems interfered with his work. Hifumi Abe, a Japanese judoka, had encountered a similar circumstance. He had to touch the sky by defending his Olympic title in Paris this time. Additionally, he had to fulfill his promise to his sister by avenging her defeat on the same occasion. Abe, in contrast to LaMotta, has accomplished everything he set out to do, and there lies his excellency. 

In Paris, Hifumi Abe has defended his Olympic title, and he has also kept the reign of Abe in Japanese judo sports intact. Furthermore, his recent deeds show that he has achieved the merriment that he wanted, coming to the Games.

Hifumi Abe shows why he is still a normal being 

As per a Reddit update, Hifumi Abe showed up just outside of a pub in Paris on a recent evening, celebrating his victory at the 66-kg judo at the Paris Olympics. His loss of balance further demonstrated that he was not in his usual state. That could have been an indication that he boozed at the celebration. A scene like this seems expected as Hifumi successfully defended his 66-kg Olympic judo title and exacted revenge on his sister’s loss. But it also says that his mood has shifted to a happy place now. So what is its backstory? 

Hifumi’s sister, Uta Abe, has several laurels in judo. But everything stood still when she failed to defend her Olympic title in her 52 kg bracket in Paris. The brother and sister had the plan set beforehand to bring the double-double from the French capital. Yet everything fell apart after Yuta faced defeat from Diyora Keldiyorova in the second round. Her 5-year winning streak ended and her chances of taking the gold also crumbled. Brother Hifumi Abe did not give in to this sad outcome. Rather, he set the priorities for himself. 

“I had to fight,” he had said with a firm jaw. The rest of the story became public when he defeated his Brazilian opponent, William Lima. The scene met a poetic ending as the box, Hifumi’s sister, was waiting to witness her brother reclaim history. 

After landing the jaw-dropping victory, the proud brother made eye contact with Uta, who was sobbing at that moment. That made the fans emotional and the recent visual proves that the judoka has yet to complete his celebration. Last Sunday, he already hinted that this time his experience had been special. 

A fitting ending to a memorable outing? 

On the streets of Paris, Hifumi Abe’s booze hunting might have raised a few eyebrows, but it also depicted a larger picture. Last time in Tokyo, the Abe siblings hunted in pairs in their home ground (or home mat), but they did it when the audience space remained empty. Because of the COVID restrictions, the sibling’s family couldn’t also join them at the venue. But this time, it was all different. 

Despite landing his throws in the foreign land, Hifumi Abe found his family alongside him. “I had never seen that view, of the venue filled with people. And here I had my whole family watching,” he narrated after his victory. He further stated, “In Paris, I felt like this is what the Olympics should be.” Naturally, the 26-year-old still has several fun moments in the card that he missed experiencing last time in Tokyo.

The recent inebriated avatar could be a prominent part of this. Is there any more to come? Certainly, it is, but we don’t know how and when. If you want to try the guessing game, the comment box is open.