SAKURA FUNABASHI challenges the top of Asia! A brilliant 9th place finish in our first overseas trip!!
Shinagawa Shokai Co., Ltd. Press release: November 6, 2024 SAKURA FUNABASHI challenges the top of Asia! A brilliant 9th place finish in our first overseas trip!! Japan’s rapidly growing team fought hard against a strong opponent in three days of intense battles
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Circuit-Grand Final, which was held in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China from November 1st to 3rd, 2024. Participated as an expedition. Despite joining the Japanese national team on short notice, they competed confidently against strong teams from Asian countries, ultimately finishing in 9th place out of a total of 16 teams. Participating in this tournament was a big step for SAKURA FUNABASHI and for the Japanese 3×3 basketball world, and it was a meaningful tournament that marked the first step towards future development and further challenges. Expedition decided in a hurry: The difficulty of obtaining a visa and the participation made possible through the help of friends This overseas tour was the first challenge for the SAKURA FUNABASHI players on the international stage. Because the decision to embark on the expedition was made suddenly, preparations were fraught with various difficulties. In particular, visas were required to travel to China, and the players scrambled to obtain them. Many of the members of SAKURA FUNABASHI do not have passports, and there are also restrictions on the composition of 3×3 teams in Japan, so we had to quickly borrow members from other teams to form a team. By applying for visas and asking for help from other teams, we managed to assemble a team and depart from Funabashi to Kunming. The efforts of the participating players were extraordinary. In particular, Shota Abe drove over three hours from Sendai to the center to apply for a visa. Furthermore, Kyosuke Shinagawa and Takahiro Suzuki also waited at the visa application counter for more than three hours to successfully complete their application procedures. On the other hand, Asahi Kobayashi was a Chinese citizen residing in Japan, so he did not need to obtain a visa, but he supported the other members in obtaining visas and together they did their best for the team. The players who overcame these difficulties faced the match with renewed determination to cross the border and represent Japan in a foreign land. First day of the tournament: Fierce battle against Asian powerhouses Malaysia and South Korea In the first match, SAKURA FUNABASHI played against a strong team from Asia. The first opponent was Malaysia’s KUALA LUMPUR team. This team is comprised almost of a national team, consisting of players ranked 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 15th in Malaysia’s rankings, and boasts overwhelming ability. The SAKURA FUNABASHI players fought with all their might against the KUALA LUMPUR team and won with a score of 17-14. SAKURA FUNABASHI’s attack that utilized its characteristic speed and the defense that everyone worked together as one were successful, resulting in a stunning victory against a strong team. In the second match, he faced Korea’s GWANGJU DINOMAN. This team was a runner-up in the previous tournament, and is a talented team that won runner-up again this time. The match was a close one, and SAKURA FUNABASHI fought tenaciously until the end, but unfortunately lost 19-21. Although the team lost by just two points, the match proved that they can compete on a par with Asia’s top-level teams, and it was a game that showed the confidence and growth of the players. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/121175/51/121175-51-ded53973dd0b5a55f8cd0506796fd9e1-3000×2000.jpg 2nd day of the tournament: A heated battle against Thailand’s World Tour regular team On the second day, SAKURA FUNABASHI played against ARES BKK from Thailand. ARES BKK is a talented team that also participates in world tours and has a wealth of experience on the international stage. SAKURA FUNABASHI maintained a bullish style of play against this team, which had some of the best players in Thailand, and won 19-13. Thanks to our solid defense and speedy attack, we achieved our second win and were able to pass the qualifying league in first place. This victory had great meaning for the team and motivated the players to further develop and take on challenges to the next stage.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/121175/51/121175-51-6ba16c76b3605835eba389685eeeeabcd-3900×2600.jpg Advance to the final tournament: played against a strong Hong Kong team and finished in 9th place SAKURA FUNABASHI achieved first place in the qualifying league and advanced to the final tournament. The opponent in the first match of the final tournament is Hong Kong’s WELLMAN_Kangjin_ team. This team ultimately achieved a 6th place finish and is known as a strong team with consistent ability. SAKURA FUNABASHI fought hard against the strong Hong Kong team and put up an even fight, but unfortunately lost 17-21. The way they competed with Asia’s top teams attracted attention from both the audience and players from other countries, demonstrating the potential of Japanese 3×3 basketball.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/121175/51/121175-51-76f494950ea688ea9b19f9bd895394ea-3900×2600.jpg “2024 Yunnan 3X3 Circuit-Grand Final” where Asian powerhouses gather “2024 Yunnan 3X3 Circuit-Grand Final” is an international 3×3 basketball tournament representing Asia, hosted by Yunnan Provincial Sports Bureau and International Exchange Center, and co-hosted by Yunnan TV Group and Macau Wolf United Sport Club. The event was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, and 16 teams from Asian countries and regions participated. Particularly with participation from basketball powerhouses such as South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hong Kong, it was a valuable opportunity for SAKURA FUNABASHI to compete at the highest level. The rules of the tournament were based on the official FIBA 3X3 rules, with the top teams from each group advancing to the final tournament after a round-robin match in the group stage. Through playing against powerful teams representing Asia, SAKURA FUNABASHI was able to gain important experience that will help spread Japanese basketball on the international stage. Through this experience, the athletes reaffirmed the power of sports to enable exchanges that transcend borders, and strengthened their resolve to take on the challenge of the next international competition. Tournament ranking and SAKURA FUNABASHI results In this tournament, strong teams representing Asian countries gathered together to engage in high-level competition. The final rankings are as follows. 1 JUMPSHOT SINGAPORE (Singapore) – 6 wins, 1 loss, average score 20.0, total score 140 2 GWANGJU DINOMAN (Korea) – 5 wins, 2 losses, average score 18.1, total score 127 3 BIONORD WOLF UNITED (Macau) – 6 wins, 1 loss, average score 20.4, total score 143 4 FOOTER (Taiwan) – 3 wins, 4 losses, average score 14.9, total score 104 5 TAHO STORY
(Philippines) – 5 wins, 2 losses, average score 19.2, total score 115 6 WELLMAN Yasuhito (Hong Kong) – 2 wins, 5 losses, average score 16.1, total score 113 7 LUANG PRABANG (Laos) – 3 wins, 4 losses, average score 15.0, total score 90 8 BLACK LABEL (Korea) – 4 wins, 3 losses, average score 19.8, total score 79 9 SAKURA FUNABASHI (Japan) – 2 wins, 2 losses, average score 18.0, total score 72 10 KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia) – 2 wins, 2 losses, average score 17.0, total score 68 11 BANH MI KITCHEN (Philippines) – 2 wins, 2 losses, average score 16.0, total score 64 12 YN Normal University (China) – 2 wins, 2 losses, average score 13.8, total score 55 13 SURTAI (Mongolia) – 1 win, 3 losses, average score 16.3, total score 49 14 SOMA ALLIANCE (China) – 1 win, 3 losses, average score 15.8, total score 63 15 ARES BKK (Thailand) – 0 wins, 4 losses, average score 15.3, total score 61 16 HYPE SUPERSPORT (Indonesia) – 0 wins, 4 losses, average score unknown, total score unknown SAKURA FUNABASHI showed stable offensive power with an average score of 18.0 and passed the preliminary league in first place. In the final tournament, he competed against Hong Kong’s WELLMAN Yasuhito, and ended up finishing the tournament in 9th place. Significance of the tournament and prospects for the future of SAKURA FUNABASHI The “2024 Yunnan 3X3 Circuit-Grand Final” is a tournament that brings together top-class athletes from Asian countries and aims to promote international exchange and regional development through sports. The match was sponsored by the Yunnan Provincial Sports Bureau and the International Exchange Center, and was held in accordance with the official FIBA 3X3 rules. 16 teams from all over Asia gathered, and JUMPSHOT SINGAPORE from Singapore was the winner. Through the experience gained at this tournament, SAKURA FUNABASHI vows to achieve further growth. Kyosuke Shinagawa commented, “Being able to compete with Asia’s top teams is a great asset for the team.We want to show the world the potential of Japanese 3×3 basketball and take on the challenge of the next stage.” SAKURA FUNABASHI will continue to be active both domestically and internationally while receiving support from the local community, and will continue to play a leading role in the Japanese basketball scene.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/121175/51/121175-51-161bbbae20c014739fcc2076a5f2e17b-3000×2000.jpg A message of gratitude to fans and local residents The SAKURA FUNABASHI players are deeply grateful for the support they received from the many Japanese fans and local residents, which gave them great strength despite the match being played in a far away foreign country. Shota Abe expressed his gratitude, saying, “Receiving so much support and support during the expedition gave me emotional support, and I was able to compete with confidence even in a foreign land.” All the players will continue to make further efforts to receive the support of our fans and aim to become a bridge between Japan and the world. Information for media personnel: Providing match footage and interview footage We have a complete collection of media materials, including match footage from the tournament, player interviews, and scenes from the match in Kunming. If you are considering broadcasting on TV, news media, or SNS, please contact us using the contact information below. We would be happy if we could deliver the story of SAKURA FUNABASHI’s challenges and growth to as many people as possible. Shinagawa Shokai Co., Ltd. Phone: 080-6636-4613 Email: shinagawa-shokai@staile.jp Homepage: https://3x3sakura.com/
