FEARLESS JAPANESE

Defending champions Japan, do not fear that many teams who have been playing second fiddle to them, are out for their scalp at 11^th Asia Cup Women Softball championship which started yesterday at the Gelora Bung Karno's Softball Stadium.

Coach Reika Utsugi, who arrived ahead of the team on Tuesday, said it was normal for teams to target them to defeat them, as they are not only the defending champions, but for four consecutive championships.

Japan for the record have won the championship six times and rated the top team in Asia.

“We do not fear the threat of teams wanting to dethrone us, but take it positively and as a challenge,” said Utugi who has been playing the game for 27 years and for the national team for eight years, before becoming national coach in 2012.

“Of course we want to win the championship for a fifth consecutive time, but all is not lost if we do not.

“If we do not defend the title, it will be a wake-up call for us to train harder and do better in the coming tournaments.”

Utsugi said a team cannot go on a winning streak forever.

“There will come time when we have an off day or perform badly and pay the price.

“It is more important for me for the team to bounce back and get back on top.”

Utsugi said sometimes the team will not have the key players available because of injury or the best team when they want to try out younger players.

For instance, at the 2019 Asia Pacific Cup Championship at Blacktown International Sportspark, in Australia in February, Japan failed to make the final when they were beaten by Chinese Taipei. China triumphed over Chinese Taipei in the final.

“We did not have a few key players then, but it was not an excuse for our defeat. I had the opportunity to try out other players in the squad in the championship.

“Now we are back for the Asia Cup wiser by the experience and strengthened. But we will still miss our key pitcher Yukiko Ueno who is injured. But the team is still formidable.”

Utsugi said that Japan’s preparation is not about a championship, but a long term plan to stay on top.

“While we want to win the Asia Cup here, it is also important for us to win the Olympics gold medal when we host the Games next year. But at the same time, we are also looking at doing well at the World Cup Women Softball in 2021.

“Thus it is not about having a formidable team for a championship, but a squad for the various championships ahead.”

Utsugi also said some time preparations for championships are not long because of the players’ involvement in the local league.

“For Jakarta, the team is just assembled and come directly after their domestic commitment. The players maybe fit, but playing as a team coming from various team’s style of player will be a challenge.

“But I still believe they will gel from their previous experience with the national team,” said Tusugi who will celebrate her 56^th birthday on June 1.

Japan have been drawn in Group A together with China – three times consecutive champions in 1987, 1991 and 1995 –, Korea, India and Thailand. The team who arrived late this afternoon will open their campaign tomorrow morning playing against Thailand at 8.30am and play Korea at 2pm.