This time, the Kings Youth Team held an international exchange event with the men’s and women’s basketball teams from Beijing Sport University in China over two days from Thursday, October 31, 2024 to Friday, November 1, 2024.
This exchange event was held as part of an international exchange program sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). A total of 20 male and female students and about 10 staff members from Beijing Sport University visited Okinawa and held a practice match with the Kings youth team and a basketball clinic led by the Kings youth coaches.
On the first day, a practice match was held between Beijing Sport University and Kings U15 and Kings U18. In response to the strong one-on-one physical contact and physical screen plays of the Beijing Sport University players, the Kings youth team executed their strong defense, which is their weapon of choice. It was a special time for the players, as they had the opportunity to experience each other’s basketball cultures, and after the game, they overcame the language barrier and deepened their interactions through gestures and high fives, a valuable experience that would not be possible in everyday life.
On the second day of the clinic, participants at Beijing Sport University experienced the Kings Youth practice menu. After the clinic, there was time for a question and answer session, and opinions were exchanged regarding the training policies and training methods of both parties during the training years. Through this exchange, we were able to share new knowledge regarding education and development through basketball.
The Kings Youth Team will continue to expand opportunities for international exchange and work to develop human resources who can play an active role in Japan and abroad through basketball.
■Implementation overview
・Participating team: Beijing Sport University Men’s and Women’s Basketball Team (China)
Ryukyu Golden Kings Youth Team
・Date: October 31st (Thursday) to November 1st (Friday), 2024
・Sponsor: Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE)
・Cooperation: Okinawa Basketball Co., Ltd.
