Badminton in Japan

In my opinion, "mental health" issues became excuses. Starting with soft athletes like Naomi Osaka.

Do you think there wasn't pressure on Chinese players in Beijing 2008? And yet they dominated.

The fact is that most of the Japanese players underachieved in a monumental way. Even Momota, who I am a huge fan of, couldn't even find his B or C level game in his second group stage match. It was sad to see.

I see it as a failure of the system. The coaching staff obviously underestimated the preparation and their players then failed to perform at a decent level.

 

It failed them during the pandemic state because of the obvious reason: NBA vs corporate team and who gets to keep the players. But this is an outlier, so I am not suggesting that the system needs to be changed. I am not putting the blame anywhere. Rather, I was trying to analyze what lead to the events this week.

 

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/96f60f91c3e9ea52088f300c9efc1598cb1e58f6

I think this is the japanese article about the state of the NBA

 

A loss is a loss. Japan did not properly prepare for the situation. No excuses can be made there. China did a great job preparing their athletes so they deserve the success they're getting at the games. Personally, I don't exactly agree with Naomi using it as a reason for not speaking to the press either. However, pressure is real, and athletes are human just like the rest of us. Some deal with it better than others. With the anti-Olympics sentiment in Japan, her athletes probably feel it more than others. It's better to identify what went wrong and fix the problem than to pretend that everything is good.

 

It really comes down to stepping on court with an attitude of playing as if there's nothing to lose vs everything to lose. When the rubber hits the road, do you fight, flight, or freeze?

In the first case, the lower ranked player has no pressure and is free to perform to the best of his trained abilities. Whereas in the second case the higher ranked player has the heavy weight of expectations especially the JAP players with the home nation pressure to medal.

Momota, WataHiga, WataEndo (and Osaka, Minions, and Chen/Jia included) were expected to do well with all the media in the lead up to the OG. (I'll exclude FukuHiro due to injury and MatsuNaga due to knowing that they're only able to beat their own country players and just only barely. KamuSono is too one dimensional).

When I watched them play they all looked nervous and played stiffly making simple unforced errors of the 2 cardinal rules of badminton, which is first to get it over the net and second to get it inside the court. It was very painful to watch Momota play so many blocks and net shots that did not go over the net. I counted at least 14 over the 2 games with Heo. Granted Heo played the match of his life... although he was later then beaten by a certain Corden who also played the match of his life. Such is the twist of fate in life! That final match point of Momota playing the block into the net was most representative of the entire match.

Looking back not too long ago you have to tip your hat to legends like LD and CY/FHF who have this innate tenacity and mental stamina to really fight to the end, leaving no regrets behind on the battlefield, only heart, sweat, and blood. In a way in this OG badminton, Polii/Rahayu played like this... smiling and enjoying themselves but you can see the focus, ferocity, tenacity, scrappiness in their eyes, and most of all ready to fight 110% all the way to the end.

I really hope JAP team recognizes that they can train tactically, physically, skillfully, but not to neglect the psychological part of human performance... that ability to do what you were trained for and trust that your body can play to your utmost potential despite the pressure and the circumstances.

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quick question: does the japanese team have dedicated sports phycologists like Denmark's team, etc?

 

My guess is they don't. And if they did, they are seriously in need of a better one.

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Kamura has tied the knot with freelance announcer Okabe Rika. It is a really cute photo.

 

Hirota Sayaka successfully underwent an operation for a torn ACL earlier this month. A six-month recovery period is expected. Here's looking forward to her return to the court!!

 

Their smile are quite similar

 

I have been waiting for post-mortems to be published following Bird Japan’s subpar performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but nothing much is forthcoming. Possibly, it is still a little too early. Head Coach Park Joo Bong faced the press along with WataHiga on August 3, but he simply attributed the team’s losses to the postponement of the Games and lack of tournaments over the past year. Although other national teams faced similar obstacles, he alluded that, Japan’s players, in particular, need such tournaments to condition themselves. He further pointed out that the team’s performance in the All England earlier this year may have bred over-confidence. PJB is aiming for revenge at Paris.

Probably the best post-Olympic article that I have read so far was published by Sakai Noriyuki, a reporter for the sports department of NHK. (https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/2020news/special/article_20210802_02.html). Sakai, who has been covering the team over the last four years, has analysed the situation as follows:

1. Bird Japan had the home ground advantage
It was comparatively easy for Japanese players to maintain their condition; they were able to eat food that they are accustomed to, and did not have the burden of travelling overseas or coping with international time differences. Moreover, the team stayed at a hotel in the vicinity of the venue; they were not lodged in the Olympic village, located one hour away by bus. Hence, with the exception of Hirota, who tore her ACL at a national training camp in June, the players were in good shape going into the competition.

2. Pressure of being host nation
In the five years since Rio 2016, Bird Japan’s position has changed from one of ‘chasing the top’ to ‘being chased’. This shift has unconsciously added pressure in that whereas, previously, players had nothing to lose, they are now afraid to lose their status, resulting in the inhibitive play that was demonstrated particularly by NagaMatsu and Momota. The fact that the stage was the Olympics merely served to aggravate the problem.

3. The closing of the gap by rivals in the one-year period of postponement
A large number of overseas rivals outperformed the Japanese team. This was exemplified in women’s singles, where perseverance and stamina, the traits of Japanese players, had no impact on their Chinese and Indian rivals in the quarter finals; both Okuhara and Yamaguchi lost in straight games. As a lack of tournaments in the run-up to the Games was a hurdle faced by players from most nations, it is the quality of pre-Olympic training that may well have determined results.

Vis-à-vis Japan, national training camps resumed in September 2020, with the team meeting six times, for approximately ten days each. The NBA prided itself on this number of practice days, but from the perspective of the players, it was not necessarily the optimum set-up. Practice sessions comprised the same members training time after time, with participants being more than familiar with each other’s styles. Moreover, as there was the possibility of players actually being drawn to play against each other at the Olympics, competitive matches were purposefully avoided. Instead, emphasis was placed on drills that focused on shot placement, the receiving of smashes, etc., with only limited time being devoted to match simulation.
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The following criticisms were raised in other articles:
- The open battle in the run-up to the Olympics between the NBA and Marusugi Bluvic (FukuHiro) had an adverse impact on team solidarity.
- Long-term cronyism amongst the NBA top is hindering reform; head coach Park may have held his position for too long.
- Complacency. The idea prevailed that if the members of Bird Japan simply played their normal game, then that would suffice. Little effort was made to help them maintain match fitness, motivate them, or to strengthen the mental aspect of their game.

Whatever the case, of the five sports that were given the top “S” ranking in terms of Government funding, it was only badminton that did not bring home a gold medal. With the exception of PJB’s superficial scratching at the team’s press conference, no NBA representative has offered any explanation as to what may have gone wrong. Team players, too, are keeping low profiles.

PJB has declared revenge at Paris; given the current rut, however, is this attainable?

 

Some non-Olympian Bird Japan members may well feel frustrated.

These players were divided as far as entry to the Korean Open and Taipei Open is concerned. Now that the former has been cancelled, it is conceivable that only players entered for the Taipei Open may grasp that invaluable chance to participate in an international tournament and gain some points.

Players slated for the Korean Open included Nishimoto Kenta, Watanabe Koki, Naraoka Kodai, Takahashi Sayaka, Ohori Aya, Takahashi Asuka, Hoki/Kobayashi, Koga/Saito, Takeuchi/Matsui Sakuramoto/Takahata, and Midorikawa/Saito. None of them have been entered for the Taipei Open.

This leaves Shimono Hashiru, Koga Minoru, Mizui Hirari, Okamura/Onodera, Yamashita/Shinoya, and Nishikawa/Ozaki with the chance to play in Taiwan, if the tournament is actually staged.

Over the last year, Team B, in particular, has been starved of the chance to take part in any international venues. Rather than this type of division as pertains to entry, which leaves far too much to chance, all national team players should be given the chance to enter any tournament that their BWF ranking permits, even if this means that they participate on a self-financed basis. The younger generation of players are in dire need of international exposure; reform of internal selection procedures for entering international tournaments is a must.

 

I hope to see Nishimoto playing but sadly Korea Open was cancelled.

I wish Nishimoto sign in all tournaments from now to the end of the year.

Nishimoto was not from Tonami anymore, freedom to choose

 

The cancellation is sad, isn't it. Unfortunately, Nishimoto is not free to choose; he needs to obtain approval from the NBA. It is basically the NBA that decides which players can enter for which tournaments.

 

I think Japan has a good chance at medalling in Paris if all their current players keep improving slowly.

MS - unfortunately without Kento this is by far their weakest category, don't see Kanta/Kenta improving enough in 3 years time.

WS - Nozomi/Akane are silver/bronze medal contenders, they seem to have a really hard time against aggressive players like Marin/Sindhu.

WD - lots of good pairs, Hirota's ACL injury should be healed by then.

XD - WataHiga are definitely gold medal contenders, just need to find a way past both the top chinese pairs (Higashino really needs to improve her defense).

MD - hopefully Endo sticks around for Paris.

I seriously hope Yuta considers sticking with one discipline, most likely XD. Sure, he's young but two disciplines over a few years really screws up your body. Zhang Nan won two golds in London 2012 but afterwards his elbow was always heavily strapped and his smash was a lot weaker. If Yuta focuses on XD his body will probably last even until LA 2028.

 

MD - He will be 37 by then. As much as he is such a wonderful player to watch, if Japan wants a solid chance at medaling in Paris, they might consider finding a replacement.

WS - NO will be 29 and we know that in WS, age is a huge factor related to top performances. Her style of play is also quite demanding physically and can lead to injuries or weaker performances as the age increases. Same for AY (about the style of play not the age, she will be 27 only for Paris) that I am afraid already peaked in her career. And the two Chinese stars of the team are definitely on the rise with age on their side (HBJ will be 27 and CY 26) and a pool of other talented players pushing behind.

WD - Time proved pairs were not eternally staying at the top in WD, but yes Japan has a lot of young ressources in this category. But it's also a very disputed category with Korea, China having different good pairs + other countries. Probably the category with the best chance of medaling at Tokyo?

XD - Yuta might need a new partner then. Is there anyone capable of matching his level of play to medal in Paris in this category within 3 years? A. Higashino will be 28, still young for the category but I think Yuta needs a better partner to grab shinier medals. Maybe it would be easier to find him a partner in MD?

MS - If KM still plays and is capable of coming back at the very top, definitely a strong chance to grab a medal. It will be his second Olympics so the approach of the competition (and far from the pressure of playing at home) would be much better. But his future seemed rather foggy considering his latest post-Olympic interview.

I think Japan had their eyes on Tokyo 2020 and the last 5 years of training and selecting talents was mainly planned with the aim of grabbing a maximum of medals at Tokyo, not Paris. The players that were supposed to peak and be at their maximum level for Tokyo might not be in the same position for Paris (age factor).

Now I read (post #2271 of Kurako) that PJB is aiming for a revenge in Paris (by the way, what an unconvincing explanation for Japan's performances)? that's the plan? A revenge for Japan or a revenge for the players? That does not sound like a solid plan to me considering the aging pool of the top players in the Japanese team. Where is the succession at the top level? Now, Japan has many young talents but will they have enough time to be ready to become medal contenders in Paris? It is in 36 months.

 

The Inter-High School Championships were held last week in Toyama Prefecture. Looking past Paris at LA 2028 (far ahead I know), keep an eye out for the following players:

Takei Riki (18, currently MS and MD… due to a recent stress fracture of the hip, Takei limited himself to MD and the team event in this Championship, but still managed to win both)
Moriguchi Koshiro (18, currently MS and MD)
Hisaminato Nana (18, WS)
Akechi Hina (16, currently WS and WD)
Taguchi Maya (15, currently WD)

 

Uber Cup is coming. Hirota was injured and Ayaka Takahashi was retired.

So that, will Misaki and Fukushima play as a pair ?

 

Nice idea! But, it is impractical as they are affiliated to different corporate teams. It will undoubtedly be Shida/Matsuyama's turn to show us what they can do.