◆ Saitama-related players gather!Ambassador inauguration ceremony held
On August 13th, “SAITAMA BB DREAM CUP2023” was held at Kawagoe Sports Park General Gymnasium. This event aims to strengthen, nurture and popularize basketball in Saitama Prefecture. Saitama Prefecture teams of boys and girls and adult boys and girls played their respective games.
Boys and girls will play against Ishikawa prefecture boys and girls team, and boys will play against Sunrockers Shibuya U18. The women lost 54-87 and the men lost 64-83, but it was a fruitful match for the Kanto block tournament of the National Athletic Meet.
After that, the inauguration ceremony of Saitama Basketball Ambassadors was held on the court, and singer Chikako Sawada, who became the first ambassador, rock musician Diamond☆Yukai, media personality Sasara Sekine, and actor Miho Watanabe. Appearance. Each talked about their thoughts on basketball, and among them, Mr. Sawada and Mr. Diamond Yukai livened up the event by performing live songs of hit songs.
Saitama Basketball Ambassador who added flowers to the event[写真]= Sanae Tajima
In the afternoon, the adult boys will play against Daito Bunka University (50-70). Next, the four ambassadors had a shooting showdown against Koshigaya Alphas’ Shun Matsuyama and LJ Peak. And finally, the main event of the day was the match between the adult girls and the W League Saitama selection.
Koshigaya’s Matsuyama Appears in Shooting Showdown [写真]= Sanae Tajima
This match was played in an irregular 20-minute period with a 10-minute half, but the W League Saitama selection, which formed a team with Kyoei University, Daito Bunka University, and university students from Saitama Prefecture, won 38-29. Miho Watanabe also joined the match, and Sasara Sekine also jumped in. It was a game full of smiles as both of them sunk their shots.
Of course, the W League players also showed good plays everywhere. Despite losing, the adult women’s team, who played the game in the form of receiving support from the W League players, also responded aggressively. The adult girls will face Tochigi Prefecture in the first match of the Kanto Block Tournament of the National Athletic Meet. Tochigi will be the sole team of the powerhouse Hakuo University, but Kaori Kusuda, the head coach of Saitama, which is made up of university students and working adults, is enthusiastic, saying, “I want to bring out the best of the mixed team.” told.
In this way, the event, which was the first in four years due to the corona disaster, closed after a successful event.
An adult girl who had a heated battle with the W League Saitama selection team (photographed by Aya Tsurumi)[写真]= Sanae Tajima
◆ “I’m from Saitama too!” Picking up comments from W leaguers
Here, we will deliver the voices of the W Leaguers who participated in the event.
Tokashiki Raimu (ENEOS Sunflowers)
“It was fun! It was my first time to participate, but I was able to interact with university students and fans, and unlike during the season, I was able to do a lot of fan service, so I could give the children a little bit of hope and dreams. I wish I could give.
I want Saitama’s adult girls to do their best, and I want them to show Saitama’s power, starting with Aya Tsurumi (who played for the Hitachi High-Tech Cougars until last season). Personally, I want to take the lead and bring excitement to basketball in Saitama so that Saitama is synonymous with basketball.
(For the new season) First of all, I want all 15 of us to play basketball energetically, and I want to grow while fighting one game at a time. I believe that the results will follow.”
Saori Miyazaki (ENEOS Sunflowers)
“I had a lot of fun participating in this wonderful event, and Kawagoe (where it was held) also has an official game this season, so I think it was an opportunity for various people to learn about basketball through the event. I think so.I want to participate again next year.This gymnasium (where the event was held) often played games when I was on a minibus.It was also an opportunity to meet the coaches of the minibus and other people involved, and see how they played. I was very happy to be able to see
I became the captain of ENEOS from this season. Our goal of winning consecutive titles in both the Empress’s Cup and the W League remains unchanged. We will need the energy of young players, so I personally have high hopes for Aiko Fujimoto and Nanami Mita.”
Tamami Nakata (ENEOS Sunflowers)
“Actually, I was born in Omiya (in Saitama City). Although I usually belong to a different team, as I was born in Saitama, I was able to play games with other teams, and it was fun like a small All-Star.
Saitama’s adult women’s team had Kotone Niwatari (former Niigata Albirex BB Rabbits / Mediceo Saitama ALC), a high school classmate. I hope she wins the preliminary rounds and participates in the finals of the National Sports Festival. We are also approaching the opening of the W League, so I would like to work hard together.
I personally believe that what we need to do each season remains the same. However, the demands of the team change little by little, so I want to practice hard so that I can respond to that and contribute to the team.”
Minami Shirasaki (Chanson Cosmetics Chanson V Magic)
“I was very happy to be invited to an event like this. I went to high school in Chiba Prefecture, but I went to school from my hometown, Koshigaya.Since mini-basketball is popular in Saitama, the best player is a player with a solid foundation. I have the impression that there are a lot of players in the W League who have been able to develop their important parts properly.Every time I go back to Koshigaya, I buy a rice cracker called “Koshigaya Fuari” as a souvenir.This is very popular. , I also love the members of Chanson Cosmetics.
This season is the first year of transfer and the second year of playing in the W League. There is still a lack of experience, and there is also a fight within the team to get playing time. I think people are expecting me to show my performance in a limited amount of playing time, and I think they are expected to do well in defense as well as scoring ability, so I want to be able to leave good stats, including that.”
Itsuki Sasaka (Toyota Boshoku Sunshine Rabbits)
“(My hometown) Yamamura Gakuen High School is in Kawagoe, so I watched the high school practice the day before. I played basketball at a school in Saitama, but I personally have the image that Saitama has many teams with fast transitions.Kashiya Yokocho is also popular in Kawagoe, and there are really many things to do, so it’s a good place for sightseeing. I think.
Toyota Boshoku has a new head coach this season, and many things have changed, so I want to be able to put out my best performance while making adjustments. Prepare well and be able to fight on equal terms with the top teams. Coach Lucas Mondello’s basketball is a lot of brain work, but it’s fun.”
■ Nako Motohashi (Tokyo Haneda Vickies)
“Although I wasn’t able to play, I feel very honored to be able to return to Saitama as a player. Many of my friends went on to high school in Saitama, and when I was a student, I had the pleasure of playing against Saitama teams and playing against my old friends.
In Asaka, there is a big festival called “Saikasai” where fireworks festivals and Yosakoi dances are held. I can go to Tokyo soon, so I think it’s almost Tokyo (laughs). When I say that, it’s said that I’m getting stronger, but…
The members of Vickies have changed completely this season, but the original members and the transfer group are gradually matching, so we will make it a team that people can understand when they see “Vickies have changed”. I want to
■ Nanami Hamanishi (Yamanashi Queen Beads)
“Since I was in junior high school, I was only chasing the results in front of me, and I didn’t have any particular dreams for the W League, but gradually basketball came to the center of my life. Now that I’ve seen the world of the W League, it’s hard to believe that I’m returning to my hometown as a W League player. My grandmother’s house is nearby in Kawagoe, and I was very happy that my parents and the children from the minibus team (I belonged to) came to see us.
Yamanashi QB has changed the staff including the head coach, and the players have rejuvenated, so it’s really a new year. I want this year to be a challenge for all the staff and players to move on to the next step. I myself am also the first captain in my basketball life, so I want to enjoy the new challenge.”
Aika Miyoshi (Yamanashi Queen Beads)
“I was born in Kawaguchi City, and was selected for the Saitama Prefecture Junior All-Star team when I was in junior high school. My goal is not only to play basketball, but also to give smiles and vitality to various people, so I am grateful that I was invited to this place.Mr. Tokashiki, Mr. Motohashi, and Mr. Miyazaki as representatives of Japan. I wanted to learn about the communication and behavior of those who are active.
Yamanashi QB will welcome the season with a new system, but I would like to express the Queen Bees-likeness. It’s an opportunity for me personally to demonstrate what I learned in my early entry, so I want to express myself on the court as much as possible.”
Text and photos by Sanae Tajima
2023-08-16 05:43:44
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