To Tokyo Para Response and Challenges Wheelchair Basketball Men Japan National Team 2 September 13:22
An international tournament for wheelchair basketball boys held to strengthen Tokyo Paralympics next year. Japan grasped the response to fight against the world with the strengthened “transition basket”.
Basketball that Japan aims for
“I want to clearly show that this is Japanese basketball at this tournament.”
The Japanese men's national team, Kohei Oikawa, was so enthusiastic and positioned this international tournament as a teststone for the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which was less than a year old.
In the last year's world championship, Japan ranked ninth, just like the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. At the Tokyo Paralympic Games, the “Transition Basket” has been working to compete against the world's powerful and powerful players.
Why is it a “transition basket”?
This is because the characteristics of wheelchair basketball are never advantageous to Japan. Unlike regular basketball, wheelchair basketball players cannot jump, so the difference in height due to their physiques becomes a handicap.
So, so that overseas powerhouses can not make use of the "height",
▽ In defense, you won't attack under the goal,
▽ In the attack, emphasis was placed on scoring with haste.
The strategy to realize this aim was the “transition basket” that quickly switches between offense and defense.
Captain Hideshima Toshima, the representative of Japan, said, “Because you can't jump, you can't win at the height. In such a situation, it is important to use the court extensively, take a tight defense and bring it into a flat basketball.” I was talking.
Test for the Tokyo Paralympics
This international tournament was a great place to test the completeness of the "Transition Basket" that has been strengthened.
However, the second game in the qualifying league with Australia, which won a bronze medal at last year's world championship, was a tough result.
The biggest challenge was "attack".
I missed the score in the decisive scene, such as removing the lay-up shot in the haste after taking the ball in the defensive and the shot from the area close to the goal, but I could not catch the flow.
The attack after switching from defensive, which is also the key of the “Transition Basket”, did not work well, and lost to 60-77.
The fact that there was a problem with the attack also appeared in the data.
In this match, the success rate of Japanese shots, excluding free throws, was 37.9%, nearly 10% lower than Australia's 46.5%.
Reo Fujimoto recalled, “There were many scenes where we were able to connect well from the defense to the attack, but we couldn't get the rhythm because we could n’t get a shot or we made a mistake.”
“I was able to show the shape of the basketball I was aiming for, but I could n’t win unless I decided to shoot.”
Responses from Iran
Even so, the last qualifying league match against Iran was able to show the battle that Japan was aiming for.
Japan was the first all-court press throughout the match against Iran, which has a height. This is a threat to the opponent, but for Japan it is a tactic that consumes too much physical strength.
Japan diligently exchanged the players, passing this strict defense for 40 minutes, holding Iran to 57 points, 20 points lower than Australia, and winning. Strong defense also led to attacks, and the success rate of the shot was 43.9%, an increase of 6% from Australia.
We were able to show the results of the strengthening we have continued to win medals at the Tokyo Paralympic Games by winning the tallest powerhouse in the “Transition Basket”.
Captain Toshima said, “I've never been able to press for 40 minutes, but I was able to pass through it and I became confident. "I was able to do it."
The result is 3rd ...
In this tournament, Japan won 2 wins and 1 loss in 3 qualifying league matches. Australia and Iran were in line with the difference in goals, but missed the final advance.
In the tournament, Iran won the championship in Australia in the final. Japan was third.
About this result, Oikawa Head Coach said, “It is very disappointing and unfortunate, but it was a big harvest that was able to win Iran, which won the third place in the world. “There is a real feeling that there is a possibility?” Emphasized that the strengthening is proceeding smoothly.
Towards the goal medal
For Japan, where London, Rio de Janeiro and the most recent Paralympics were all 9th, the goal of winning medals at the Tokyo Games is not easy.
Captain Toshima said, “We will continue to polish the transition basket for next year. We will continue to work together to reduce mistakes in the field of defense. I told you.
In addition, Oikawa Head Coach said, “I want to improve my strength a little more because basketball that I want to do has become possible. In order for Japan to win the world, all 12 people on the bench must fight. "I will raise my team power."
Japan captures the response to the world with "Transition Basket". In the future, the level of “individuals” will be improved, and we are going to go up to the height.