The Kings U18 participated in the “18th Ryukyu-American High School Friendship Basketball Tournament” held at Camp Foster Gymnasium from December 5th (Friday) to December 6th (Saturday) and finished the tournament with a runner-up finish.
This historic tournament is held for the purpose of deepening friendships through sports between high school students, parents, and basketball coaches from Okinawa Prefecture and the United States, and this year marks the 18th time.
In addition to the Kings U18, participating teams include Maehara High School (boys), Chinen High School (boys), Koza High School (girls), and Naha Kokusai High School (girls) from prefectural high schools in Okinawa Prefecture. In addition, from high schools on the base, the Kadena Panthers (boys and girls), Kubasaki Dragons (boys and girls), and St. Mary’s International School from Tokyo competed in the tournament.
The Kings U18s passed the group stage in first place, defeating St. Mary’s International School 64-46 in the semi-finals and advancing to the finals. The final match against the Cadena Panthers. Although we fought as a team, we lost 37-49 and finished the tournament as runners-up.
Although we were disappointed that we did not win the championship, playing against teams with different cultures and languages was a valuable opportunity for us to deepen our friendships through the common sport of basketball, and to realize once again how great it is.
The Kings Youth Team will use the experience gained at this tournament as a springboard to develop players and strengthen the team under the philosophy of “Make Okinawa even more vibrant!” We appreciate your continued support.
[Match results]
December 6 (Saturday)
○ Kings U18 64-51 Kubasaki Dragons
Kings U18 52-59 Maehara High School ○
○ Kings U18 64-46 St.Mary’s International School(Tokyo)
Kings U18 37-49 Cadena Panthers ○
▽Click here for information on the activities of the Kings Youth Team
