Takeshi Kamo was the last survivor of the Japanese squad that accomplished the “miracle of Berlin,” by coming back to win in the second half from two goals down against Sweden. In the game he played inner left. He started playing football as a student at Hamamatsu Normal School, serving as team captain for five years. He later changed to Hamamatsu First Junior High School and Waseda First High School. From 1932-37 he attended Waseda University and graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering. He participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics while a student at Waseda. Kamo was also selected to play in the qualifiers for the 1938 FIFA World Cup. But due to the restrictions in travelling, Japan refrained from competing. When the 1940 Olympics were cancelled, he missed further opportunities to play internationally. He served in World War II and later lived in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, working for electrical companies. In 1949 he was co-author of the book Technics and Theory of Football with Tadao Horie. Starting in the 1950s, Kamo was plagued by several serious diseases. He eventually died of heart failure. All his life, he was an ardent piano player. His younger brother Shogo was also part of the Japanese Olympic squad.
Japan