It's a good news for me, such a relief that Momota, Akane... do not have to be put under more continued pressure.
Apparently, NBA executive Zeniya Kinji suggested on November 29, in a press conference, that if, due to quarantine restrictions, the thirty players currently abroad would not be able to participate in the All Japan Championships, then next year's national team would have to be chosen from those participating in the World Championships. Accordingly, the top performers in the AJC (and this may include Naraoka) will possibly acquire/maintain a Team B position, but probably nothing more. Depending on national team members' performances, a review may be held in June 2022, but it is difficult to imagine anything more than a minor tweak here. I am not sure what will happen to FukuHiro.
I would expect Fukuhiro to stay on Team A. They are still the world #1 pair after all, and I don't see either Hoshi/Matsuda or Nakanishi/Iwanaga being good enough to warrant replacing them just yet. Didn't Okuhara get to keep her spot when she was out recovering from injury before? I think the Ohori-Takahashi Asuka dilemma will be more interesting. Is Takahashi going to lose her Team A position because she won't be at the WC? Takahashi will probably make it to the AJC final while Ohori will probably exit the WC before QF, but given the vast difference in the playing field, it won't be easy to compare them.
I am inclined to agree about FukuHiro, although I am not sure when Hirota will be active from. Then there is also Sakuramoto/Takahata. With Hoshi/Matsuda and Nakanishi/Iwanaga making inroads, I wonder whether they can keep their position on the A-team. ... Yikes! Just now checking the National Team A members on the NBA website, it seems as though Takahata has been removed from the list of players. Sakuramoto still features, though?? And what about Naraoka, another absentee at the WC? He is certainly at least at the same level as Watanabe Koki, but has amassed fewer points because he has been deprived of the opportunity to join some tournaments. What a mess.
It’s a comment on a Chinese forum. It’s not corroborated so should be considered a rumor. It says Okuhara went out for drinks with “teammates” and was left out the team as a result. Not clear if this is a violation of COVID policy or other policies. Don’t shoot the messenger is this turns out to be false. In that case it is strange someone would make stuff up like this…
At first, I thought you meant that Takahata was removed from the list going to the WC (just checked, they're not entered), but you actually meant the national team! What a turn of event! I can't imagine her being removed from the team roster just for taking a long time to recover from an injury. I guess we have an answer about the Takahata/Sakuramoto pairing with this turn of event. Hoshi/Matsuda or Nakanishi/Iwanaga will probably be promoted to Team A next year to replace Takahata/Sakuramoto. Difficult to predict which pair will get the chance since they're pretty evenly matched, and looking at the WC draw, there's a good chance that they both will exit in R2 against Kim/Kong and Polii/Rahayu respectively, but Hoshi/Matsuda probably has the edge thanks to their win at the Ranking Circuit earlier in the year. I remember reading an article about Hirota's surgery and rehabilitation back in August. The expectation is that she could get back on the court after about 6 months. Maybe we can see her back on tour around All England time frame. I didn't want to touch on Naraoka's situation because we have such a big Nishimoto fan here, but I think it's about time the NBA gives Naraoka a chance. Between Watanabe Koki, Naraoka, and Koga, Naraoka probably has the most potential due to his age. Naraoka, Christo Popov, Kunlavut, and Laksya Sen were all at about the same level during their junior days, but it's looking more and more like he's being left behind by the others who are getting the chance to compete on the bigger stages. The NBA should not miss the chance to develop him while he's still young. But who can he replace on Team A? I would think either Nishimoto or Watanabe. Watanabe being the newer addition (and younger) probably should be given more time to prove himself. Nishimoto, on the other hand, seems to have peaked in 2017 and early 2018 and hasn't accomplished much since then. If Naraoka wants a chance at Team A, he better win the AJC. If he failed to enter the final, it would be hard to make a case for him.
Wow, these rumours can be scary. They are totally groundless because currently there are no rules in Japan that prevent people from going out drinking, unless we are talking about those who have entered the country from abroad, and who are meant to be in quarantine. Aren't you confusing Okuhara for Ishikawa Ryo, the golfer? Second, Okuhara was on the WC list a couple of days ago. She withdrew after it became clear that players returning from the WC would be unable to participate in the All Japan Championships (AJC) at the end of December, due to newly enforceable quarantine restrictions. Accordingly, she may well be giving preference to the AJC, where, considering her long absence from competition, she is ensured of better results. Okuhara will be going for a consecutive Championship, and will, thereby, be ensured of a place on National Team A next year. Just as an afterthought, I was also wondering, considering the repercussions of omicron, whether the flight taking Okuhara to Spain may have been cancelled. However, as Nagahara is still on the list, I don't think this applies.
She would be ensured a spot anyways by showing up to the WC. She's probably going for the record here: a 3rd consecutive championship and 5th championship overall. Sounds very impressive despite the not very impressive competition this year seeing how 4 of the top 5 players will be unable to participate.
Somehow, I don't think that all players who attend the WC are ensured a place on the National A Team. Actually, it is inconceivable as far as some of them are concerned, and they will end up in Team B. Okuhara, of course, has her past record to bolster her case, and I can't see her being relinquished. However, it would be alarming, if she fails to win the AJC.
The same forum posted the news from NBA that Okuhara withdrew due to an injury. So I guess it was a false news after all. So weird… sorry about the confusion.
All the same Okuhara's decision to withdraw from the WC in favour of the AJC is puzzling. Given the field, it is not much of an achievement if she takes the title. And, it will beg a lot of questions if she doesn't. Currently, three possible reasons come to mind: 1. Given her long absence from competition, Okuhara is insecure about her current form, and would prefer to enter a less competitive tournament to asses where she stands. 2. Given the fact that the AJC will be televised on mainstream TV, and spectators will be admitted for the first time in two years, there could be pressure for at least one 'big name' to enter the field. 3. Okuhara is intending to retire and, given its standing amongst the Japanese population at large, would like to make the AJC her last tournament.
If #3 turns out to be true that would be really sad and puzzling as well. The amount of top players retiring post-Olympics this time around is a crazy huge number. I'd rather think #1 is more likely to be true though especially since I think JPN players would be incentivized to stick around at least until the WC on home soil next year.
post-olympics is always transition season. i agree. this makes sense. she already has 1 wc gold so there isn't the same pressure to play again. using the ajc as a testing ground is logical, as is targeting the 2022 wc on home soil. #2 doesn't make sense to me because nozomi is an 'independent' player and any pressure for making a big name show up would fall on nba's shoulders.
I remember Okuhara said she would be fight for Olympic Paris 2024. If she was ban due to drinking alcohol, so why she was on All Japan list (ban international tour but not national tour ???) Okuhara withdrew after the draw was announced, she saw it and she chose to play All Japan. (I let you think for yourself)
Okuhara may be a 'pro', but she does rely on her sponsor, Taiyo Holdings, for financial assistance. In the hypothetical case that Taiyo Holdings was supporting the AJC, or even a TV channel scheduled to air the AJC, notion #2 wouldn't quite be as nonsensical as it first appears. ... However, I have been known to be over-cynical. I, neither, believe this to be a likely scenario. As far as #3 is concerned, ... Okuhara's contract with Taiyo Holdings is due to expire at the end of this month. I have looked for articles regarding an extension, but haven't found anything yet.
