It鈥檚 going to be all Japan all the time the next four years as far as Summer Games sports are concerned.
Several players tabbed as potentials for the 2020 Olympic host nation鈥檚 team in women鈥檚 basketball were on the CARSA Gym floorboards Tuesday night as the flash-quick Japanese U-18 team defeated the University of Victoria Vikes 92-66 in an exhibition game.
Japan U-18 led 41-32 at the half.
The teams meet again tonight at 7 at CARSA Gym. Admittance is by donation. Japan U-18 then continues its tour on the Lower Mainland with games against the UBC Thunderbirds and a sa国际传媒 Selects team.
鈥淲e have several possible players for the 2020 Olympics on this U-18 team,鈥� said Hiroko Tanabe, women鈥檚 national team U-categories manager.
The sa国际传媒 tour was arranged by UVic Vikes coaching legend Ken Shields, who has served as assistant coach of the Japanese men鈥檚 national team and as adviser to the Japanese junior national women鈥檚 team. Shields helped conduct a practice for Japan U-18 at CARSA prior to the start of its two-game set against the Vikes.
This set against Japan U-18 follows a 73-53 Vikes loss earlier this month to the Wisconsin Badgers of the NCAA鈥檚 Big Ten Conference.
鈥淭he Wisconsin game was collegiate CIS versus NCAA, but playing a national team, we have nothing to compare with,鈥� said UVic coach Dani Sinclair.
鈥淭his will help us grow as a team. This is the first time we have played in August and we like it. We would be training, anyways.鈥�
