Asian Champions Trophy 2023: Japan preview, schedule and squads

The seventh edition of the Asian Champions Trophy is set to kick off on August 3 in Chennai. A total of six teams will participate in the tournament, with one being the Japanese team.

Japan finished in second position in the last edition of the Asian Champions Trophy, losing the final to South Korea. This was their best ranking in the league over the years and will return to the league playing against South Korea again in their opener at Chennai.

Japan are excited to be part of the tournament with a great bunch of players. The team’s head coach Akira Takahashi has his eyes set on the preparation for the Asian Games and the Paris Olympics.

Looking at the positives, Takashi thinks the weather in Japan is nearly the same as that of India, which will help in the quick acclimatization of players. The coach is also optimistic about the team’s potential to reach the final of the competition, due to the change in tactics.

Currently ranked World No. 19, Japan will need to fine-tune their defense as well as offense to have a deeper run in the Asian Champions Trophy. Moreover, they will look to prepare themselves for an all-important Asian Games scheduled to be played next month. The winners of the continental tournament will directly qualify for the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris.

It will be interesting to see how the performance of the Japanese outfit in the Asian Champions Trophy.

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Japan’s positions at Asian Champions Trophy over the years

2011 – 4th

2012 – 6th

2013 – 2nd

2016 – 6th

2018 – 4th

2021 – 2nd

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Japan’s schedule in the Asian Champions Trophy

Every team will play each of their opponents in the group stage games. Below is Japan’s schedule for the Asian Champions Trophy 2023.

• August 3: Japan vs South Korea

• August 4: Japan vs India
• August 6: Japan vs Pakistan
• August 7: Japan vs Malaysia
• August 9: Japan vs China

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Japan’s squad for Asian Champions Trophy

Goalkeepers: Yokishawa Takashi, Kitagawa Takumi

Defenders: Shota Yamada, Kawahara Yamato, Kirishita Yoshiki, Yamashita Manabu, Fujishima Raiki, Ohashi Masaki, Mitani Genki

Midfielders: Tanaka Seren, Takade Taiki, Niwa Takuma, Nagayoshi Ken, Tanaka Kaito

Forwards: Fukuda Kentaro, Nagai Yuma, Kato Ryosei, Ooka Ryoma, Kawabe Kosei

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3 Japanese players to watch out for at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023

#1 Seren Tanaka

Seren Tanaka, Japan’s captain, is an experienced player. He is a midfielder and has played in various tournaments since 2016. Tanaka has scored 11 goals in a total of 139 games. Tanaka’s best tournament was the Asian Games 2018, where he scored two goals and won the Gold medal for the country.

#2 Fukuda Kentaro

Kentaro, capped 88 times, has played a vital role in Japan’s Field Hockey team for the last few years. He has scored 20 goals and played a key role to help the team secure 44 wins in total.

#3 Yamashita Manabu

Veteran Japan player, Manabu is one of the most capped players (75) in the country. He will be a player to watch out for due to his expertise in the field and a vital cog in guiding youngsters to Japan’s success at the Champions Trophy.