| Mar 25 | Sumo: Hakuho beats Kakuryu to clinch 22nd title |
 Mongolian Yokozuna Hakuho beat compatriot sekiwake Kakuryu in a playoff bout on Sunday to clinch his 22nd sumo title.
Hakuho went into the final day with a 12-2 record, while Kakuryu-with a 13-1 record-only had to win to clinch the title. However, Kakuryu lost to Goedo, and Hakuho downed Baruto, leaving both Mongolian wrestlers on 13-2.
(Japan Today  ) |
| Mar 24 | Olympics: Japan hoping stage is set for old campaigner Hiroshi Hoketsu's golden age |
 When you say this to the world's oldest Olympian Hiroshi Hoketsu, who celebrates his 71st birthday on Wednesday, his routinely dignified, serious demeanour - you are not surprised to hear how one Japanese trainer used to call him "His Majesty" - melts into a delighted fit of laughter. "Thank you, thank you!" he splutters. Oh come on, Hiro, you must get these compliments all the time? "No, no just from you!" he protests. (telegraph.co.uk ) |
| Mar 24 | Sumo: Kakuryu alone at top after Hakuho stumbles |
 Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho suffered a stunning defeat to bogeyman Kisenosato on Friday, allowing compatriot Kakuryu to take sole possession of the lead heading into the final weekend of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
Sekiwake Kakuryu kept his hopes of a maiden title alive with victory over ozeki Kotoshogiku at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium and found himself one win clear at 12-1 after Hakuho (11-2) lost the plot to a wrestler that has so often been a thorn in his side in recent years.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 24 | Baseball: Softbank to buy baseball stadium in Japan |
| Softbank Corp will buy the Fukuoka Yahoo Japan Dome, the home of the Softbank Hawks, for 87 billion yen ($1.06 billion) in a major investment in its baseball team, the Nikkei daily reported. Slated for this month, the purchase will eliminate about 5 billion yen in annual usage fees to the stadium's current owner, Government of Singapore Investment Corp, helping Softbank spend more on fan services and player acquisitions, the Japanese daily said. (Reuters) |
| Mar 23 | Baseball: Ichiro museum opens window to Japan's baseball icon |
 One of the first clues that this is no ordinary museum is that all the treasures lining the walls and locked behind glass cases have something to do with Ichiro.
And things turn surreal when Ichiro's mother steps from behind a partition near the museum's entrance to say hello. Yoshie Suzuki has spent a decade helping her husband, Nobuyuki, run The Ichiro Exhibition Room in Ichiro's hometown just outside of Nagoya. One of them is usually here on any given day.
(Seattle Times) |
| Mar 22 | Baseball: 'Human bonds' urged at baseball tourney |
 This year's opening ceremony at the 84th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament was an emotional event for both players and survivors of last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The tourney opened Wednesday at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, with a march of players from 32 schools, a regular opening event that was canceled last year in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
(Yomiuri ) |
| Mar 22 | Sumo: Baruto suffers second defeat of spring basho |
 Promotion-chasing Baruto was handed a shock setback in his bid for yokozuna by fellow ozeki Kotooshu, crashing out of a tie for the lead on the 11th day of action at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday.
Yokozuna Hakuho, meanwhile, was back in killer mode with some crafty handiwork in a demolition of Kotoshogiku to retain his share of the lead in a two-way tie with sekiwake Kakuryu with four days left in Osaka. Baruto, ozeki Harumafuji and rank-and-filer Shotenro sit one back at 9-2.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 21 | Baseball: For some women, the name of the game is baseball |
| The professional baseball players were warming up for an evening game at Wakasa Stadium in Kyoto: One was hitting grounders to some infielders, a few were tossing a ball around, and the home team was in a huddle. Pretty typical but for one detail: all the players were female, members of the Girls Professional Baseball League, which started up two years ago. (New York Times) |
| Mar 21 | Wrestling: Saori Yoshida has the intimidation factor |
 Despite her small stature and penchant for fluffy socks, Japanese wrestler Saori Yoshida could be the most intimidating athlete in any sport at this year's London Olympics.
Yoshida, the gold medallist in the 2004 and 2008 women's 55-kg division, has never tasted defeat at an Olympics or a world or Asian championships and believes no-one can stop her in her quest for a hat-trick of Olympic titles.
(stuff.co.nz ) |
| Mar 21 | Sumo: Kakuryu still tied for Spring Basho top spot |
 Kakuryu rose to the challenge to remain in a share of the lead and yokozuna Hakuho rebounded from his defeat to the sekiwake the previous day, discarding of Aminishiki on the 10th day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday.
Ozeki hopeful Kakuryu, Hakuho, Estonian ozeki Baruto and rank-and-filer Shotenro retained a tie for the lead with 9-1 marks, going into the last five days of the 15-day Osaka meet. Ozeki Harumafuji sits at 8-2.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 21 | Basketball: Washington to fight charges in drug case |
| Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington's legal defense has begun, The Japan Times has learned. Evessa spokesman Makoto Yamada told The Japan Times that Washington informed the team he plans to hire a lawyer for his ongoing case. The 33-year-old star was arrested March 13 for suspicion of importing approximately 1 kg of marijuana into Japan. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 20 | Golf: Ishikawa takes special membership on PGA Tour |
 Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa has decided to take special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, which allows him to accept as many sponsor exemptions as he wants for the rest of the 2012 season.
The 20-year-old was runner-up in the Puerto Rico Open two weeks ago. In six events this year, he has earned $582,471, more than enough to be a special temporary member.
Non-members can play no more than 12 times on the PGA Tour.
(USA Today ) |
| Mar 20 | Kakuryu upsets Hakuho again at spring tourney |
 Kakuryu's first win against Hakuho in 21 previous match-ups last time out must have been just the spinach he needed for a death-defying encore performance on Monday.
The Mongolian sekiwake assumed his role as Popeye the Destroyer in an adrenalin-fueled showdown to knock the yokozuna out of sole possession of the lead in the day's finale, throwing the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament into a four-way tie with six days remaining.
(USA Today ) |
| Mar 20 | Rugby: New coach Jones picks team |
| New Japan rugby coach Eddie Jones picked his first team on Monday, naming a 30-strong squad for next month's Asian Five Nations match at Kazakhstan. A night after leading Top League champions Suntory Sungoliath to their second consecutive national championship, Jones unveiled a group that included 14 uncapped players for his first game in charge of the Brave Blossoms on April 28. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 19 | Sumo: Hakuho takes sole lead as Kakuryu blinks first |
 Hakuho remained on course in a bid for his 22nd career Emperor's Cup while countryman Kakuryu fell out of a share of the lead with the lone yokozuna as the second week of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament kicked off Sunday.
The Mongolian was poetry in motion as he quickly dispensed with Tochinoshin in a frontal force-out to improve to a perfect 8-0 record, but sekiwake Kakuryu was given a sumo clinic by ozeki Kisenosato, dropping to his first loss in the day's penultimate bout.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 18 | Kakuryu, Hakuho tied for lead in Spring Basho |
 Sekiwake Kakuryu remained perfect alongside Hakuho through seven days at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, outlasting ozeki Harumafuji on Saturday.
After a lot of huffing and puffing in the middle of the ring, Kakuryu won by "yorikiri," pushing Harumafuji to his second defeat of the basho in the marquee matchup of the day.
Yokozuna Hakuho went to 7-0 without any issues, toppling third-ranked maegashira Kyokutenho who has yet to win.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 17 | Sumo: Baruto remains on course for promotion |
 Estonian behemoth Baruto stayed in the hunt for promotion to sumo's top rank of yokozuna with a routine defeat of winless Kyokutenho on Friday, the sixth day of action at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
The former nightclub bouncer was never in any danger in the day's next-to-last bout at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, getting both arms around the Mongolian and spinning him around and down with a "shitatenage" underam throw to sit one win behind lone yokozuna Hakuho.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 17 | Basketball: Drug use rampant in bj-league, claims Saitama's Flowers |
| Saitama Broncos forward John Flowers, who played for West Virginia in the 2010 NCAA Final Four, told a CBS Radio show in Pittsburgh that drug use in the bj-league is widespread. Those comments came three days after Osaka Evessa star Lynn Washington's arrest on Tuesday for suspicion of importing a package of marijuana into Japan, a violation of the Cannabis Control Law. Washington's wife, Dana, was arrested last month by Osaka Prefectural Police. The case is ongoing. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 16 | Sumo: Unbeaten Hakuho overpowers Gagamaru |
 Baruto rebounded with a vengeance in his bid for promotion to yokozuna, while Hakuho remained undefeated in a shellacking of Gagamaru on the fifth day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament Thursday.
Hakuho is tied with sekiwake Kakuryu and rank-and-filer Takayasu at 5-0, while Baruto chases the trio in a pack of eight wrestlers one off the pace as the 15-day Osaka meet heats up.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 15 | Badeball: Giants accused of salary breach |
| Japan's richest baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, could face an investigation after a newspaper report said they regularly burst the professional league's salary limit between 1997 and 2004. The Asahi newspaper reported that the Giants paid six players more than the maximum contract of 150 million yen ($1.78 million) to acquire their services. The total amount paid was reported as 3.6 billion yen. (Reuters) |
| Mar 15 | Sumo: Baruto's title chase hits bump |
 Estonia-born ozeki Baruto saw his bid for yokozuna promotion take a hit Wednesday as he was sent to a shock first defeat at the hands of Mongolian sekiwake Kakuryu on the fourth day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
Baruto's slapdash sumo style reared its ugly head in his first real test of the 15-day meet, when he was toppled onto his back by rival Kakuryu, who improved to a 4-0 mark to share the lead with lone yokozuna Hakuho, ozeki Harumafuji and rank-and-filer Takayasu.
(Japan Times ) |
| Mar 15 | Soccer: Japan earn shot at Olympic glory |
 Japan booked their place at the London Olympics with a 2-0 win over Bahrain Wednesday, earning the country a shot at its third major title in a row.
Second-half goals from Takahiro Ogihara and Hiroshi Kiyotake were enough to put the 1968 bronze medallists through with already qualified South Korea and UAE, who won a five-goal thriller against Uzbekistan.
(AFP ) |
| Mar 14 | Basketball: Evessa's Washington arrested in drug case |
 Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington, the most famous player in bj-league history, was arrested at 10:20 a.m on Tuesday for alleged involvement in the importation of between 1 kg and 1.5 kg of marijuana, media reports stated the same day.
Washington was booked by Osaka Prefectural Police on Tuesday, according to published reports. His 32-year-old wife, Dana, was arrested last month, it was reported.
In November, Washington's wife's name was on a package that allegedly contained marijuana and was shipped to Osaka from the United States. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 14 | Baruto dominates in victory over Myogiryu |
 Baruto dropped the sledgehammer on rank-and-filer Myogiryu in another blitzkrieg Tuesday, continuing his brilliant form on the third day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
Baruto, who won the New Year meet in January and is making a bid at promotion to yokozuna, sits in a group of eight wrestlers sharing the lead, including lone yokozuna Hakuho, in the early going at 3-0. (Japan Times ) |
| Mar 13 | Sumo: Baruto dismisses Yoshikaze with ease |
 The only thing Baruto's would-be opponent was missing was a pacifier and some strap-on diapers.
Estonia-born ozeki Baruto heaved out Yoshikaze in what amounted to child's play Monday, continuing his bid for yokozuna with a powerful display on the second day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
The pintsized Yoshikaze (0-2) never had a prayer against the goliath, who got both hands on the back of his opponent's belt and lifted him over with seeming ease from the center of the ring at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. (Japan Times ) |
| Mar 13 | Golf: Ishikawa finishes alone in second |
| Ryo Ishikawa gave himself a boost in his Masters preparation on Sunday, birdying the last two holes to finish alone in second at the Puerto Rico Open, his career-best U.S. PGA Tour result. The 20-year-old star, playing on the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern shores, closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 14-under 274, two strokes behind George McNeill of the United States. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 12 | Baruto starts promotion bid in style |
 Estonia-born Baruto launched his bid for promotion to sumo's ultimate rank on full octane on the opening day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament Sunday, the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan.
A full crowd was in attendance at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for the first spring basho to be held in two years after last year's tourney was cancelled due to a match-fixing scandal, and Baruto was ever the showman in a ransacking of Georgian komusubi Gagamaru. (Japan Times ) |
| Mar 10 | World Cup 2014 qualifiers: Japan and Australia drawn together in Asia |
 Japan will face Australia in a repeat of the 2011 Asian Cup final after the duo were drawn together in a tricky World Cup qualifying fourth-round group. Japan defeated Australia 1-0 after extra time in the final in Qatar last year to become Asian champions for a record fourth time and the two sides have been the standout performers in the region for a number of years.
The pair will be favourites to finish first and second in Group B and reach the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil but they will face a difficult challenge and three long away trips to West Asian teams. (guardian.co.uk ) |
| Mar 10 | Sumo: One large step back, a few small steps forward |
| Last month the sumo association, while supposedly seeing 2012 as the year to move forward and clear their sullied name, took a massive step backward. During the most recent reshuffle of bigwigs running the game, former chairman Kitanoumi was re-elected Rijicho. Under the latter part of his leadership that ended in 2008, the sport saw scandal after scandal push it daily into the headlines of sports newspapers and gossip like quasi-news shows. Exactly why this bewildering re-election took place is still being debated and is likely down to nobody else wanting the job after both former Musashigawa (ex-yokozuna Mienoumi) and Hanaregoma (ex-ozeki Kaiketsu) were ousted in relatively quick succession. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 09 | Soccer: Homare Sawa inspires a nation |
If there is anyone who embodies the fighting spirit of Japan's disaster-laden year, it is Homare Sawa.
The 33-year-old is the captain of Japan's women's soccer team who lifted the FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany last June. Despite being huge underdogs her team made it through to the final of the tournament where they beat the highly fancied United States.
Before the competition began the team had little financial backing and was practically ignored by the Japanese public still reeling from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima. (CNN) |
| Mar 09 | Soccer: Top-seeded Socceroos hope to avoid Japan |
| The high-flying Socceroos enter Asia's year-long final qualifying round as top seeds in their quest for a third consecutive World Cup finals berth in Brazil in 2014. Their table-topping performance in the previous round, capped by a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Saudi Arabia in Melbourne, has elevated them to No.20 in FIFA's latest world rankings. The pay-off is Asia's top billing, which means they will avoid second-ranked South Korea, who are automatically top seed in the second of two five-nation qualifying groups. (theroar.com.au) |
| Mar 07 | Golf: Masters gives exemption to Ryo Ishikawa |
| Ryo Ishikawa no longer has to worry about trying to qualify for the Masters. The 20-year-old from Japan received a special invitation for the second time. Augusta National chairman Billy Payne says the Masters historically invites international players to expand the major's global reach. He says Ishikawa will help increase interest in Japan and throughout Asia. Ishikawa has won nine times on the Japan Golf Tour. He also received an invitation in 2009 when he was 17. He was the second-youngest player to compete in the Masters. (Fox News) |
| Mar 06 | Japan beats US women 1-0 on 84th-minute goal by Megumi Takase to reach Algarve Cup final |
| Megumi Takase scored on a header in the 84th minute, and world champion Japan beat the United States 1-0 Monday at Faro, Portugal, in a rematch of last year's World Cup championship game. With the win, the Japanese advanced to the final of the Algarve Cup. The Americans, who had been seeking their third straight title and ninth overall in the annual tournament, finished second in Group B with a 2-1 record and will play in the third-place game Wednesday. Japan (3-0) goes to the final. (Washington Post) |
| Mar 05 | Equestrian: Hiroshi Hoketsu qualifies for London Olympics at age 70 |
 Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu qualified for the London Olympics at age 70, although it's not yet clear if he will actually compete.
The oldest Olympian in history is Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn. He won a silver medal at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics at 72, his sixth medal in three games.
Hoketsu qualified by winning an international dressage meet in France on Thursday. Japanese equestrian officials said Sunday an announcement will be made soon on whether he will ride in London. Hoketsu will turn 71 on March 28. (New York Daily News ) |
| Mar 05 | Marathon: Yamamoto closes in on place at Olympics |
| Ryo Yamamoto is used to taking the express lane. The 27-year-old proved it on Sunday, placing fourth in the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon for the top finish among Japanese runners to all but secure his spot in his first-ever Summer Olympics at this year's London Games. Yamamoto, who works for major logistics company Sagawa Express Co., maintained a steady pace in rainy and cold conditions to cross the line at Ojiyama stadium in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 44 seconds in the race won by first-time marathon runner Samuel Ndungu of Kenya in a time of 2:07:04. (Japan Times) |
| Mar 02 | Baseball: Japanese All-Star game to be played in Fukushima |
| Japan's professional baseball league will hold an All-Star game in quake-hit Fukushima in 2013 to help with the reconstruction of the area following last year's earthquake and tsunami. Nippon Professional Baseball Commissioner Ryozo Kato said "it will be the first time for Fukushima to host an All-Star game." The March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered a major nuclear crises at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in northeastern Japan. (Fox News) |
| Mar 02 | Golf: Slow golfers to receive yellow cards |
| The Japan LPGA Tour has decided to use soccer-like yellow cards for slow play to avoid confusion caused by verbal warnings. "Slow play has been a big issue in recent years, and we concluded it's better to show a yellow card for problematic slow play than to explain," Yoko Ema, tour official in charge of rules and scoring, told a press conference Thursday at Ryukyu Golf Club in Okinawa Prefecture, the venue for the season-opening Daikin Orchid Ladies. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 29 | Judo: Nanjing cancels out on judo event |
| The city of Nanjing has canceled a commemorative China-Japan judo event scheduled for this week in the wake of Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura's controversial remarks about the 1937 massacre there carried out by the Imperial Japanese Army, sources said. The event, scheduled for Friday, was to feature a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the construction of the China-Japan Friendship Judo Stadium in Nanjing. 1984 Olympic gold medalist Yasuhiro Yamashita was scheduled to give a judo clinic during the event. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 28 | Rugby: New Japan coach promises attacking game |
| Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones vowed Monday to bring his attacking style of rugby to Japan's national team, the day after after piloting Suntory Sungoliath to the country's top club title. Jones will become the Brave Blossoms' coach in April on a four-year contract and has pledged to make the team a top-10 contender by the 2015 World Cup in England. "Suntory's philosophy of how they play is my philosophy," Jones said after his team beat defending champions Panasonic Wild Knights 47-28 in the play-off final of Japan's premier 14-team professional rugby union Top League. "That's how we're gonna play for Japan," said the 52-year-old Australian, who guided his home country to the 2003 World Cup final, which they lost to England. (AFP) |
| Feb 27 | Kipyego passes legend to win Tokyo Marathon |
Kenya's Michael Kipyego upstaged former world record holder Haile Gebrselassie to win the Tokyo Marathon ahead of Arata Fujiwara in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 37 seconds on Sunday.
The 38-year-old Gebrselassie, who holds the third-fastest time ever at 2:03.59, was fourth in 2:08.17, his first completed marathon in two years.
Gebrselassie pulled away from last year's winner, Hailu Mekonnen, just before the 36-km mark to take the lead, but surrendered it to Kipyego at 38 km. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 27 | Rugby: Japanese touch team's gear stolen hours after arrival |
| A group of Japanese touch rugby players had nearly all their possessions stolen while they ate at a restaurant in South Auckland only hours after arriving in the country. Brazen thieves used bolt-cutters to cut the locks on the back of three trailers and smash windows of vans to take thousands of dollars of gear, including computers, iPods, phones, passports and the players' kits. The team are here to play in the national touch championship in Palmerston North but have been forced to split up with some members staying in Auckland to buy new gear and replace passports. (New Zealand Herald) |
| Feb 25 | Golf: Tiger, Ishikawa eliminated early in Match Play |
The roar resonated across Dove Mountain from fans packed around the 18th green as Tiger Woods, needing a birdie on the last hole to stay in his match, hit a shot that dropped out of the Arizona sky and landed 5 feet from the hole.
That was followed by silence.
Woods missed the putt so badly that it never even touched the hole.
No one was more surprised than Nick Watney, who removed his cap to shake hands with Woods after a 1-up victory Thursday in the Match Play Championship. It was the third straight time in this fickle event that Woods failed to get out of the second round, and it raised more questions about his ability to make key putts that once seemed so automatic. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 25 | Soccer: Japan beat Iceland 3-1 in friendly |
The J-League's former top goal scorer Ryoichi Maeda helped Japan beat Iceland 3-1 with an early goal on Friday in a warm-up game for a World Cup qualifier next week.
The Asian Cup holders needed only two minutes to open the scoring when defender Tomoaki Makino, after exchanging straight passes with Yoshito Okubo, produced a cross from the left for Maeda to score with his head.
Japan controlled the game throughout the first half, never giving the visitors a scoring chance.
Iceland played more aggressively after the break, but it was Japan who scored in the 53rd minute with second-half substitute Kengo Nakamura passing to Jungo Fujimoto for his first goal for the national team. (AFP) |
| Feb 23 | Soccer: Olympic hopefuls Japan thrash Malaysia |
 Japan thrashed Malaysia 4-0 in their penultimate Olympic group qualifier Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of securing a place at the London Games.
Coach Takashi Sekizuka said they could have used a few more goals to cement their place at the top of the Group C rankings -- and with that their Olympic chances as only the group winner automatically qualifies for London.
Before the match, Japan were tied with Syria on nine points and on goal difference. But Syria topped the four-team group, having scored one more goal.
Japan now have 12 points. Syria play later Wednesday against third-placed Bahrain away in Manama.
(India Times ) |
| Feb 23 | Sumo: Japan's sumo belly flops to $50 million debt |
| Japan's ancient sport of sumo rang up debts of almost $50 million in 2011 after a match-fixing scandal which triggered a television black-out and a government warning. "We find ourselves in an extremely difficult position," Japan Sumo Association (JSA) chairman Kitanoumi told reporters on Wednesday. "We must face the problem and quickly restore the public's faith in sumo." The JSA was forced to pull the plug on last March's spring tournament after a sting operation uncovered a match-fixing ring via texts left on mobile phones of wrestlers involved. (moneycontrol.com) |
| Feb 22 | Basketball: American 1st female coach in men's league in Japan |
| Natalie Nakase knows there's more to her job than winning games. The American is the first female coach in Japan's professional men's basketball league. Nakase was hired by the Saitama Broncos last November after the previous American coach, Dean Murray, was fired for a violation of his contract. Nakase's appointment was considered something of a breakthrough in Japan. The 31-year-old Los Angeles native says she's happy to give women encouragement to take on new roles. "I get a lot of attention for being the first woman in coaching," Nakase said at a news conference. "I'm starting to realize the responsibility I have of giving women a chance, not only in basketball, but in the corporate world as well." (boston.com) |
| Feb 21 | Soccer: Japan look for goals galore in Olympic qualifier vs Malaysia |
| Japan hope to open the floodgates against Malaysia as Takashi Sekizuka's side desperately seek to win big in a crunch Olympic qualifier on Wednesday. "We need to score early so we can put ourselves in a position to dictate how the game flows," Japan striker Kensuke Nagai said. "We need to be aggressive, and we need to be fearless. We've got to be dynamic." The 2-1 defeat to Syria on Feb. 5 saw Japan drop to second in Group C of the Asian final qualifiers for the under-23 competition in London. The two teams are level on points and goal difference, but Syria are ahead on total goals scored. (Mainichi) |
| Feb 19 | Baseball: Ichiro heads into final year of deal with Mariners |
 No one really knows when Ichiro Suzuki will retire. The 38-year-old outfielder is heading into the final year of his contract with Seattle and isn't discussing a new deal.
There he was on Saturday, though, beginning his 12th spring training with the Mariners as the team held its first full-squad workout of 2012.
Naturally, there was a bit more buzz around camp than usual. More fans showed up to watch and get autographs. More media from Japan arrived, following Suzuki's every move. And when asked about his future, Suzuki said it was difficult to say how long he plans to keep playing. (seattlepi.com) |
| Feb 19 | Baseball: Murata shines in Giants debut |
| New Yomiuri Giants third baseman Shuichi Murata impressed in the first preseason game of 2012, going 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs in an 8-3 Saturday loss to the Hiroshima Carp. The two-time Central League home run leader delivered a run-scoring single up the middle in the first inning and homered to left in the fourth at Sun Marine Stadium. Murata also singled to right in the sixth before being pulled for a pinch runner. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 18 | Soccer: Japan call up five new caps for Iceland |
| Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni called up five new players for a friendly against Iceland next week in preparation for a World Cup qualifier later this month. "I called up those who have never been named before because... they have the potential to represent Japan in the future," the Italian coach told reporters on Friday. Japan's Europe-based players, led by CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda and Borussia Dortmund striker Shinji Kagawa, cannot be obliged to play for the national side in friendlies and so are absent for the Iceland match. The new players were Vegalta Sendai, goalkeeper Takuto Hayashi, midfielders Ryota Isomura (Nagoya Grampus) and Gaku Shibasaki (Kashima Antlers), along with forwards Hidetaka Kanazono (Jubilo Iwata) and Yuya Kubo (Kyoto Sanga). (AFP) |