Japan: Looking for a team

Utsumi hopes blend of experience and youth will bring good times back for the Japanese

Japan's women played at the 2004 Olympics in Athens but if they are to make the trip to Beijing this summer, the team from the Far East must clear some major hurdles. After failing to book a place outright for China at the FIBA Asia Championship, Japan will take aim at one of five qualifying places still up for grabs at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Madrid. In their group is last year's surprise package at the EuroBasket Women, Latvia, and Senegal. If Japan beat Senegal but slip up against the Latvians to finish second, they are almost certain to face a quarter-final against the Czech Republic. The winners of the four quarter-finals qualify for Beijing, while the losers go into a mini-tournament and battle for the last remaining ticket.

Japan have claimed 10 bronze medals and seven silver at FIBA Asia Championships, but only once have they captured gold and that was 38 years ago in Kuala Lumpur. Japan brought back a silver medal from the 1975 FIBA World Championship and finished fifth the next year at the first ever Women's Olympic Tournament in Montreal. The last notable international performances from the Japanese came in the late nineties. They came in seventh at the 1996 Olympic Games and ninth at the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

The Japanese are small, leaving coach Tomohide Utsumi to rely on quickness and hopefully, good perimeter shooting. Utsumi, who held the reins of the squad for the first time in Greece four years ago and led the team to a third-place finish at last year's FIBA Asia Championship, will have 1996 Olympian Mikiko Hagiwara as an assistant coach. Her experience should be an asset for the team in Spain.

Last year, the Japanese had a real bounce in their step after prevailing 72-67 over China in their first game of the Asia Championship in Incheon, Korea. Utsomi's team helped its cause by drilling eight of 17 (47.1%) of its shots from three-point range. Guard Yuko Oga had 19 points and eight rebounds in that triumph and would go on to lead her team in scoring with an average of 11.6 in the competition. But hosts Korea thumped Japan 90-68 to beat them to first place in preliminary round Group A and that meant Japan had to once again take on China, only this time in a semi-final. Tom Maher's Chinese won 74-62 to kill Japan's hopes of direct qualification for Beijing. Because China had spot already in Beijing as hosts, the three other semi-finalists were guaranteed at least a place in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Korea won the gold medal to clinch a spot in China while Japan beat Chinese Taipei to win bronze.

In April, with the beautiful cherry blossom in bloom, Japan's players gathered to begin their preparations for Madrid at a training camp and among those who showed up were Kumiko Yamada, Naomi Yashiro, Ai Mitani, Yuko Oga, Yuka Watanabe and Asami Yoshida - all members of last year's team at the FIBA Asia Championship. The more important development was the return of 34-year-old Yuko Aizawa, a player who had been away from the national side for a long period. She was instantly installed as captain. In addition, Japan's two most experienced players, scoring center Noriko Hamaguchi and excellent outside shooter Ryoko Yano, joined the group. And there was also a buzz in the air with the naming of 16-year-old Ramu Tokashiki in the 17-strong preliminary squad. After a series of friendlies against Lithuania in May, the final 12 players were selected to leave Japan with what Utsumi hopes is a perfect mixture of experience and youth.

Last 10 FIBA events
Year    Event    Place    Achievement
2007    FIBA Asia Championship    Incheon    Bronze Medal
2006    World Championship    Sao Paolo    Did not qualify
2005    FIBA Asia Championship    Quinhuangdao    4th
2004    Olympics    Athens    10th
2003    FIBA Asia Championship    Sendai    Silver Medal
2002    World Championship    Nanjing    13th
2001    FIBA Asia Championship    Bangkok    Silver Medal
2000    Olympics    Sydney    Did not qualify
1999    FIBA Asia Championship    Shizuoka    Silver Medal
1998    World Championship    Berlin    9th


How did they qualify?

FIBA Asia Championship 2007
3rd (5 W - 2 L)

Results

Preliminary Round
June-3rd 2007    Japan b. China    72-67
June-4th 2007    Japan b. Thailand    104-44
June-5th 2007    Japan b. Chinese Taipei    67-58
June-6th 2007    Korea b. Japan    90-68
June-7th 2007    Japan b. Malaysia    117-32

Semi-finals
June-9th 2007    China b. Japan    74-62

3rd place final
June-10th 2007    Japan b. Chinese Taipei    73-70