TOKYO: From athletics to judo, the pool to the bowling alley, Japan has high hopes for its big delegation at the Asian Games in Doha.
The Japanese, with a 907-strong delegation, are pinning particularly high hopes on the track, where the Games are being treated as a warmup for next year’s World Championships at Osaka and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Doha Games officially open Dec. 1 and run until Dec. 15.
Hammer thrower Koji Murofuse is a seasoned veteran on the world stage, winning all eight of the events he’s contest this year, after taking last year off.
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Naoyuki Daigo set a Japan high jump record and tied for fifth in the world with a leap of 2 meters, 33 centimeters at the Japan nationals in July, and the Japanese women, headed by Mizuki Noguchi, will be hard to miss in the marathon, a traditionally strong event for this country.
Athens gold medal-winning swimmer Kosuke Kitajima will be looking to find his form after some disappointing finishes in the 200-meter breaststroke, the event he dominated with a world record time at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
Other gold medal hopefuls are the women’s softball, wrestling and synchronized swimming teams. And, with a little luck, trampolinist Yasuhiro Ueyama could also come through with a win.
Japan’s women wrestlers won five golds at the world championships, and claimed medals in all categories they competed in. At Doha, there will be four wrestling categories and Japan wants to defeat China and gain a psychological advantage heading toward the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The synchronized swimming team, led by Emiko Suzuki, also claimed medals in all categories at its World Cup in Yokohama in September. Suzuki alone swam-splashed her way to four medals, though she was outshone by Russian and Spanish rivals.
Judo may be a bit more problematic.
Japan, in a rebuilding stage, placed a disappointing fifth in the men’s competition at the most recent World Cup, and was third in the women.
Judo great Ryoko Tani will skip Doha while she takes time off after giving birth. Tani, Japan’s favorite athlete, won the women’s 48kg judo event in Athens, becoming the first woman to win two consecutive judo gold medals. The 29-year-old is a six-time world champion and reached the Olympic final four straight times.
Tani’s absence will give high school student Misato Nakamura a chance to shine — but not for long. Tani has vowed to be back for Beijing.
Also sitting out the Games in Doha will be Athens Olympic judo champions Keiji Suzuki and Masato Uchishiba.
Another woman the Japanese will be watching is Ai Fukuhara, the 18-year-old table tennis prodigy who this nation has watched rise to international status since she was a preschooler. Though she is the best Japan has to offer, she will be hard-pressed to beat the Chinese, who always have a strong team.
Japan finished third overall on the Busan medal tally in 2002 with 44 gold, 74 silver and 72 bronze medals. China led the way, with 308 medals, followed by host South Korea, with 260.
would have been great to go. now that i will not be there are there any coaches on thre forum heading to QATAR?
