The Japanese women’s basketball team held a training camp in Tokyo in preparation for the Paris Olympic World Final Qualification (OQT), which will be held from February 8th to 11th. A wide range of talent was gathered, including promising high school players.
Among them, the one that attracted attention wasAsami Yoshida(Aisin Wings) andhorse melon evelyn(Denso Iris), these are the first players to be called up under the head coach (HC) Toru Onzuka, who was appointed after the Tokyo Olympics.
◆Japan’s women’s team aims to win a ticket to the Paris Olympics with a “new style”
■Unexpected 36-year-old national team call-up
Asami Yoshida (Photo: Kazushi Nagatsuka)
“It’s really, really hard.”
Surrounded by reporters, Yoshida’s first words were, “But it’s still fun,” he said with a smile.
He announced his retirement after the 2019-20 season. After that, he returned to active duty this season after taking on the role of assistant coach at Tokyo Medical and Health University, where head coach Onzuka was in charge at the time, but his last national team appearance was held in Belgium. The 36-year-old’s call-up to the national team was unexpected, his first since the Olympic world final qualifying round in February 2020.
Touted as having the “world’s best agility,” the guards are required to create scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates. Through trial and error, including a crushing defeat in the 2022 Women’s World Cup, guards such as Mai Yamamoto (Toyota Motor Antelopes), Saori Miyazaki, Anri Hoshi (both ENEOS Sunflowers), and Nako Motohashi (Tokyo Haneda Vickies) They have made adjustments to the HC’s basketball aspirations and improved the team’s strength.
It is difficult to predict at this point how likely Yoshida will be included in this list. She has the aspirational experience and leadership that only she can bring to the table, which no one else has. Japan accomplished the feat of winning the silver medal for the first time in history at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but Yoshida also participated as an ace point guard, and her experience at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she led Japan to the final eight, was the foundation for this. became.
■“Intangible abilities” that HC Onzuka also has high expectations for
Onzuka HC (Photo: Kazushi Nagatsuka)
“I really had a lot of experiences.I also experienced the Olympics, and I felt frustrated because I kept losing until I got to the Olympics.The moments in the games where you think, “This is important, right?” are a valuable experience. There are some things that I know, so I think everyone’s mindset will change if I say something from the bench, or if I’m going to come out, I can form a huddle and say a few words. Changing the style is what is required of me now. Those things have become a great asset as my experience, so I think I can have confidence in that.”
When asked what he could bring to the current national team, Yoshida answered as follows. Head coach Onzuka said that when Yoshida formed a circle with the team on the first day of training camp, she emphasized the importance of communication, saying, “It would be a waste if we held back.” He has high hopes for Yoshida’s ability to lead the team. I brought it. The head coach also said of Yoshida, “The quality of the passes he provides to the shooters is excellent.”
It will be interesting to see how well Yoshida’s “intangible abilities” will be evaluated, but Yoshida himself said that he does not have a vague idea that he is there because he was called.
“I think it’s a place where you can’t be half-hearted when it comes to doing things, and the main premise is to get a ticket to the Olympics, and then aim for the gold medal at the Olympics, so that Japanese basketball can become even better.” I hope that I have something to share with you, and although it was a challenge for me to come back, I think it was a good opportunity for me to move on to the next challenge.”
[Next page]■ “New Evelyn” making a fresh start
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2024-01-13 15:37:26
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