JAPAN

GK – goalkeeper, LW – left wing, LB – left back, CB – central back, RB – right back, RW – right wing, LP – line player

COACH: Jun TANAKA

KEY-PLAYERS:

• Nao Takagi  – strong, left-handed player, superb long range shooter,
• Wakana Hashiguchi – the highest in the team (178 cm), very promising line player, but just came back after a long injury
• Airi Ito – she is able to organise the team very well in positional attack, but can also surprise with a shot from the second line. Team leader.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE TEAM:

Japanese team combines these qualities with which we identify the Country of the Blossoming Cherry every day: order, harmony and … not the highest height. The leader from the Japan team in this ranking – Wakana Hashiguchi – measures only 178 cm. “That is why the team spirit is our strong point. Japan will be dangerous in the attack, because the movement of each girl is about to create some space for a friend,” explains Yuki Hattori, a Japanese sports journalist. In addition she points out that Asian girls want to match their peers who took the eight place last year at the U-18 world championship in Georgia. So, we can expect Japan girls to play a quick handball, many counterattacks, have mobility and present high defense in 3:3 or 3:2:1 systems. That is typical style of handball for Asian teams. Hattori tells us, however, that the position of handball in Japan is in a poor state. “It’s a really minor sport here. Baseball and football always come across as the leading sports here, then comes volleyball, basketball, table tennis, tennis…,” she ends. In that case we should the more appreciate the Japanese presence at the tournament in Kielce.