by Andrew MCKIRDY Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run of the World Baseball Classic in Sunday’s win over Australia, then warned quarter-final opponents Italy that his unbeaten team “can score runs from anywhere”. Facing only his second pitch of the game, Ohtani blasted a huge three-run shot that almost hit an advertising board with his own face on it, setting Japan on their way to a […]
Tag: JPN
Japan end skid with 3-0 SheBelieves Cup win over Canada
FISCO, United States (AFP) — Japan snapped a four-match losing streak with a 3-0 victory over Olympic champions Canada in their closing match of the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday. The Japanese, who had failed to score in defeats to the United States and Brazil in their first two matches of the women’s international football tournament, broke out in a big way with goals from Kiko Seike, Yui Hasegawa and Jun Endo. The top-ranked United States, […]
Lakers trade for Japan star Rui Hachimura
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Japanese international Rui Hachimura in a deal that sends guard Kendrick Nunn and multiple draft picks to the Washington Wizards, the Lakers said Monday. The 6ft 8in (2.0m) Hachimura has made 30 appearances for the Wizards this season, averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. In his four seasons in the NBA, the 24-year-old has averaged 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 […]
Japan wins count for nothing after World Cup exit, says Doan
by Andrew MCKIRDY Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) –Forward Ritsu Doan said Japan’s historic World Cup wins over Germany and Spain counted for nothing after the Blue Samurai were eliminated by Croatia in the last 16 on Monday. Japan missed out on a first-ever place in the quarter-finals after a 3-1 penalty shootout defeat to the Croatians, following a gruelling encounter that finished 1-1 after extra-time. Japan beat both Germany and Spain in the […]
Samurai spirit: Japan explodes with World Cup joy
by Harumi OZAWA / Atish PATEL Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — As the final whistle blew on Japan’s shock victory over Spain, thrilled fans flooded onto Tokyo’s Shibuya Scramble crossing to celebrate a win few had dared to dream of. “Japan, bravo! Japan, bravo!”, they cheered after the 2-1 victory, singing the popular “Vamos Nippon” football chant and waving the country’s flag. Dressed in their team’s blue kit, some with hats against the morning […]
‘Total loss of control’ a warning for Spain: Luis Enrique
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Spain coach Luis Enrique blamed five minutes of “total loss of control” for his team’s shock 2-1 defeat by Japan on Thursday, which saw them qualify for the World Cup last 16 second from Group E. La Roja, among the favorites to win the tournament, would have been eliminated if Costa Rica had held on to beat Germany, although Los Ticos eventually fell to a 4-2 defeat. Alvaro Morata sent Spain […]
Inoue stops Donaire in second round to unify bantamweight titles
Japan’s unbeaten Naoya Inoue stopped Nonito Donaire of the Philippines in the second round Tuesday to add the WBC bantamweight world title to his WBA and IBF belts. Inoue, who also beat Donaire in a 2019 classic, floored the 39-year-old veteran at the end of the first round and stopped him 1 min, 24 sec into the second to take his record to 23 wins, 20 of them by knockout. Inoue and Donaire’s previous […]
Yuka Saso’s golf odyssey: Philippines to Japan via US Open win
by Daniel HICKS When a little-known teenager from the Philippines burst into the global golf spotlight by winning last year’s US Women’s Open it changed her life — but left tricky decisions ahead. Yuka Saso will next week enjoy the new experience of defending a major. But at Pine Needles she will play under a different flag, the crimson red circle of Japan. Saso, who was born in the Philippines and has a Filipino mother […]
Four Japan athletes kicked out of Asian Games for buying sex
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Four Japanese basketball players on Monday apologised for bringing “disgrace” to their nation after they were kicked out of the Asian Games for paying prostitutes for sex. The regional Olympics was hit by scandal after the players were spotted in a notorious red light district of the Indonesian capital Jakarta wearing their national jerseys last week. The expulsion of Yuya Nagayoshi, Takuya Hashimoto, Takuma Sato and Keita Imamura will come […]





