Actually, it is the other way around. They followed him to Gifu Tricky Panders after he was given the boot by Saishunkan. FukuHiro commented in a public statement that, in order to develop as players, they need to be with "Akihiro". Now that Imai has been indefinitely banned from becoming an NBA member (for various transgressions), he can only coach them behind the scenes. Have a look at some earlier posts on this thread for the lurid details.
I was right about one thing - Imai is a major douche So much drama! Gonna need some time to digest. Not sure how Japan's national team works but can the coach just put Fuku/Hiro into the national camp, away from all the drama?
All national team members spend roughly 150 days of the year either at national training camps or in tournaments, ... in which Imai can't participate. On top of that, a criminal case has been filed against him; if he is found guilty, a "separation" is conceivable.
Saishunkan's WD Fujii/Kakiiwa, silver medallists in the 2012 London Olympics (Japan's first badminton medallists), have announced their retirement from competitive sport at the end of this season. Kakiiwa will stay on at Saishunkan as a coach, but it looks as though the number of players is taking a nose-dive.
I really do hope Imai gets a lifetime ban! Such a toxic person! So he gets accused of embezzling players prize money, then moves to Gifu, followed by Fuku/Hiro. Now he is being accused of blackmail? GIfu even sounds a bit fishy by accepting a questionable coach. I'm gonna assume that Yuki and Sayaka wasn't the players Imai stole from and they followed him because they've been together for many years. Coach Park should ask Imai to take a long vacation at the North Pole until the 2020 Olympic ends.
Yeah, but I still fault them for leaving the club for two coaches (Imai and Keiko Whatsherface) that apparently have embezzled money from their young colleagues and blackmailed another of their coaches. In addition, all the youngsters at Saishunkan are now without capable seniors in doubles after first Fukuman/Yonao in 2017 and then Fukuhiro in 2018 departed. Fukuhiro knew that and still left. Can't say I'm sympathetic to them anymore. With Fujii/Kakiiwa retiring (which is a good thing, they aren't physically up to it anymore and especially Kakiiwa seems to struggle with injuries) there's three (!) doubles players left at the club. Saishunkan basically has to recruit at all cost and fast as well.
One thing is for sure, Imai needs to be banned from badminton asap. Japan's national coach, if he hasn't, need to have a stern conversation with FukuHiro in regards to their "relationship" with Imai. The last thing Japan's gold medal contenders need is controversy. Going to give Yuki and Sayaka the benefit of doubt in this situation. They only saw the good side of Imai since his shady dealings were all behind the scenes. It was clear they were his bargaining chip. Makes me think that's how he got to Gifu. As for Saishunkan, they seem to have the funds for players. They'll rebuild and come back stronger!
i cannot understand all the flak yuta watanabe gets for his smash, as if it's hindering the progress of yutarisa. do people not realize he smashes harder than zhang nan? these are my expert opinions: he possesses the quickest foot speed of anyone currently playing. quicker than kevin. quicker than zheng siwei. he has great court vision his offense is creative his reflexes are quick his shot making is smart she possesses the most power of any female xd player she has high level instincts during a rally her court vision is excellent her offense is creative her reflexes are quick they both utilize the mid court better than other xd teams they need to learn how to utilize match tempo so they avoid losing a run of points quickly consistency will come w/ experience their journey to #1 is on schedule.
Matsuyama managed to **** up yet another final vs Sakuramoto/Takahata (16-10 up in the third, 20-19 up as well). I swear, the worst player to watch by a mile, really should switch my allegiance to Hokuto Bank or something. Not a good day for this here badminton fan.
Matsu/Taka beats Matsu/Naga Matsu/Naga beats Fuku/Hiro Fuku/Hiro beats Matsu/Taka Nicely done ladies! No one is getting complacent in the Japanese camp for sure!
You made some great points! They are still young and have plenty room for improvement. But felt like Watanabe got exposed badly from his lack of power smashes from the back in the Asian Games. The Chinese pair felt no threat lifting the bird. I'd be very interested in knowing how many times he actually smashes in a game. If they play teams with similar styles (HK pair?), then they'll be fine. Arisa is so special because only Japan can afford to put such a power hitter in MX due to their ridiculously stacked WD. I love Wata/Higa but sometimes I do feel like Arisa holds more threat from the back
It is a long time since I have been able to find any news on him, but Tago Kenichi appeared in a New Straits Times article, entitled "Former Japanese star makes Malaysia his second home". The article itself does not offer much in the way of depth, but there are a couple of comments covering Tago's thoughts on Momota and Lee Chong Wei. → https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badmi...-japanese-star-makes-malaysia-his-second-home
Hi , Is there any group to play badminton nearby Atsugi/Ebina/Yokohama? actually I am looking for people with whom I can play badminton on the weekends.
Can Someone explain to me how the race to Guangzhou ranking works? Top 6 qualifies but only two teams from each country are allowed? This means Japan's WD can only have two pairs even if 4 pairs are ranked in the top 6?
Yes, and as far as I've gathered, the already qualified World Champions count as one of the two pairs, which means only one of Takamatsu, Fukuhiro, Tanayone and Sakutaka are going to go. It's absolutely preposterous.
This reminds me of the round-robin format stupidity during the Olympics. Must be the same fools in charge If they are going to give the World Champs an automatic spot, then they should not count as one of two the qualifying spots. What's going on with the Thai pair who is ranked #1?
It's Top 8 actually. Well I agree that the 2 per nation rule ruins it. I mean I understand the representation issue but I'd really like to see the best in the World Tour battle it out. Last year, unknown pair Hsu Ya Ching and Wu Ti Jung made the cut at the expense of TakaMatsu just because they played all the tournaments even if they only reached as far as R2 in all their SS tournaments.. (where are they now??); they lost right away anyway. I'd say it's also quite questionable how the wild card for WC counts towards the quota.
What's more, the BWF forces their top players to attend a great number of tournaments, in other words: they use their stars to generate interest and money. To then bar the world #1 or the Olympic Champions - incidentally the most successful pairs on the tour - from participating in the final event is not only stupid from a marketing perspective, but is spitting the players in the face, who've been carrying the tour all year long. If I'm not mistaken, Takatmatsu last year lost their #1 spot because they were barred from defending their points, which meant worse seeds for the following months. And we haven't even talked about money at this point.
So the current ranked #7 and 8 Indo pairs have nothing to worry about. #9 and 10 WD Chinese pairs will have to do a coin flip or whatever. Whoever is at #11 can just slide in! Are the #1 Thai pair still in action? This system is so flawed! It's liking punishing the most hardworking and talented players!