Yoshida back to lead Japan in Wuhan
TOKYO (FIBA Asia Women’s Championship) – The return of Asami Yoshida had handed a significant boost to Japan’s hopes of successfully defending their FIBA Asia Women’s Championship crown.
TOKYO (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) - The return of Asami Yoshida has handed a significant boost to Japan's hopes of successfully defending their FIBA Asia Women's Championship crown.
Having missed her team’s outing at the FIBA Women’s World Championship last year in Turkey due to injury, the playmaker will make a return almost two years after her last appearance.
Her influence could be huge and she has been handed the captaincy which further underlines her importance.
"I am very pleased that I have come back for the first time in two years to represent Japan," declared Yoshida, who averaged 4.4 assists per game when Japan climbed to the top of the podium in Bangkok.
“I have a high goal and that is getting to next year’s Olympic Games. - Yoshida
"As both a point guard and also as captain, I want to work hard so I am able to pull the team in that direction.
This year's team slogan has been slated as being 'momentum and challenge' - one which will have two main missions as a result.
Firstly, Japan must secure successive FIBA Asia Women's Championship titles for the first time in their history if they want to go automatically to the 2016 Rio Games and that could mean continuing their rise in Asia by beating China on Chinese soil.
If they don't return to the top of the podium, they must try to qualify for the 2016 Games via the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).
It is an event which would give them the opportunity to erase the bad memories of missing out on London 2012, after they went down 71-63 to Canada at the WOQT Ankara.
"It really was one of the most disappointing things and one of the most mortifying thoughts," head coach Tomohide Utsumi said.
"But we must look to the future and building momentum by defeating our rival countries as I want to work towards the goal of obtaining that Olympic ticket."
The last time Japan competed at the Olympics was more than a decade ago, when they featured at Athens 2004 where they finished 10th after winning only one of their six games.
FIBA