[Challenge Report] Halfway Milestone Achieved: Founder of FC Nono Reached 1,000km in 2,000km India Dribble Challenge!

teamfcnono
Apr 26
3 min read

Since March 3, 2025, Nozomu Hagihara (Nono), Founder of FC Nono, has been undertaking a solo 2,000km dribbling challenge across India. On April 15, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, he surpassed the 1,000km mark—the halfway point of his journey aiming for a Guinness World Record!

Daily updates on his dribbling progress are being shared on the official FC Nono Instagram and Nono's personal Instagram. Here, we will share with you some of the most memorable moments from the journey so far!

In the second state, Jharkhand, Nono broke the existing Guinness World Record for the longest dribbling distance, which was 337 km. He was warmly congratulated by the local community.

He arrived in Bodh Gaya, located in Bihar—the third state and also the base of FC Nono’s activities. Here he was welcomed and celebrated by the children of FC Nono.

While traveling through Bihar, he suffered from food poisoning, battling stomach pain and vomiting, yet continued to dribble on.

His Japanese friends working in Delhi traveled all the way to Bihar to run alongside him, giving him an incredible boost of strength and motivation.

In Patna, the capital of Bihar, he visited UNICEF India and had discussions about education, sports, and development in India, particularly in the state of Bihar.

He reached the third state, Uttar Pradesh, home to famous landmarks like the Ganges River city of Varanasi and the Taj Mahal. And finally, he achieved the milestone of 1,000km—the halfway point of this journey!

Overview of the Dribble Challenge

Challenger: Nozomi Hagihara (Nono), Founder & Representative of FC Nono

Support Crew: 4 Indian PR members

Departure Date & Location: March 3, 2025, The LaLit Great Eastern Kolkata

Via: Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh

Estimated Arrival Date & Location: May 15, 2025, Embassy of Japan in India (New Delhi)

Estimated Duration: 90 days

Estimated Distance: Approx. 2000km

Nono’s Scheduled Dribbling Rout in India

Again, we extend our sincere gratitude to the following companies and individuals* who have generously sponsored this challenge. *For details about our sponsor companies, please refer to our previous article.

QUARTET COMMUNICATIONS Co.,Ltd. ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS Co., Ltd. Tokisetsu Co., Ltd. Fun Creative LLC Mr. Takeshi Seo Fourth Valley Concierge Corporation ROOKIE Co., Ltd.

We continue to seek sponsors and individual donors to support post-challenge documentary production, broadcasting in Japan and India, and hosting related events. For inquiries, please contact:

Nozomu Hagihara (Nono) Email: teamfcnono@gmail.com Phone: +91 98355 80398

Individual donation can be made via the following platform: Donation Page

(Credit card payments accepted. For bank transfers, please contact Hagihara directly.)

Message from Nono, to All Our Supporters

To everyone who has always supported FC Nono’s activities — thank you so much for your warm and continued support.

Through this 2,000km solo dribbling challenge across India, I’ve decided to put myself on the line to share the social issues we are tackling and amplify the voices of the children in India who are giving their all every day. Thanks to the generous support of many people including our sponsor companies, this challenge has become a reality. It’s been nearly four years since I came to India, yet every step I take still offers new perspectives and insights. This journey has also been met with incredibly positive reactions from people within India, which has been truly encouraging.

I hope this challenge becomes a powerful springboard not just for myself, but for the children of FC Nono and for children all across India. I’m determined to finish the remaining distance strong. Thank you again for your continued support!