Winning a professional sports tournament is always a rewarding accomplishment. After a long drought, that satisfaction is even greater.
Badminton player Kodai Naraoka, 24, ended a two-year dry spell by claiming the BWF World Tour's Kumamoto Masters men's singles title on Sunday, November 16 in Kumamoto.
Fourth-seeded Naraoka outplayed compatriot Kenta Nishimoto, the sixth seed, 21-11, 10-21, 21-15 in the championship match.
"I hadn't been able to win for a long time and those were difficult times, but I'm glad it's over now," Naraoka said, according to the Badminton World Federation website.
It was Naraoka's first title since he triumphed at the China Masters in November 2023 in Shenzhen.
A 2024 Olympian, Naraoka was eliminated in the round of 16 in the men's singles tournament at the Paris Games.
In the tone-setting first game, Naraoka raced out to a 14-6 lead.
After Nishimoto bounced back in Game 2 to level it at 1-1, Naraoka regained momentum in the decisive third game and wrapped up the match in 1 hour, 13 minutes.
The tournament, which began on November 11, was staged at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
What's Next on the Sports Calendar for Top Badminton Stars?
In Sydney, the Australian Open got underway on Tuesday, November 18.
Naraoka is Japan's highest-ranked men's player (No 11) on the BWF World Tour in Australia.
Figure Skating
Japanese Entrants Collect 3 Medals at Skate America
Two-time world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the pairs competition at Skate America on Saturday, November 15, in Lake Placid, New York.
In second place after the short program on Friday, the Japanese duo secured the victory at the Grand Prix Series event with the highest point total in the free skate (141.57) the next day.
Miura/Kihara finished the two-day competition with 215.99 points. Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava were the runners-up (195.73).
With a pair of Grand Prix victories this season, Miura and her partner clinched a spot in December's Grand Prix Final.
"It is the first Grand Prix Final to be held in Japan that we can participate in," Kihara told reporters. "[In 2021] it was supposed to be in Osaka, but because of COVID, that ended up being canceled. It's going to be held in Nagoya, which is my hometown, and I'm really happy about that."
In the women's event, Rinka Watanabe earned the silver medal, amassing 210.96 points. American Alysia Liu placed first with 214.27 points, while Georgia's Anastasiia Gubanova claimed the bronze (204.69) on Sunday.
Kazuki Tomono led in the men's standings after Friday's short program. A day later, Tomono slipped to eighth in the free skate, but held on for a third-place showing overall. Tomono completed his up-and-down weekend with 245.57 points.
France's Kevin Aymoz won the competition with 253.53 points and Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov hauled in the silver (251.09).
A Look Ahead in Figure Skating
Japan's Yuma Kagiyama, a three-time silver medalist at the world championships, and Sota Yamamoto are scheduled to compete in the Finlandia Trophy (November 21-23). It's the final qualifying event before the Grand Prix Final.
Mone Chiba, Rino Matsuike, and Rion Sumiyoshi are set to lace up their boots in women's singles in Helsinki.
Golf
Yamashita Named LPGA Rookie of the Year
Miyuu Yamashita, winner of the 2025 Women's British Open, received the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award on Monday, November 17, in Naples, Florida.
Yamashita amassed the most points among rookies from official LPGA Tour events during the season.
In addition to the Women's British Open title, Yamashita was victorious at the Maybank Championship on November 2 in Kuala Lumpur.
"I am truly honored to win this award," Yamashita said, before adding, "I am very happy to stand here today."
She then said, "I am also grateful to have my name included among many wonderful players who have won this award before me. [And] I will keep working hard and try to win many more tournaments."
The Louise Suggs Award has been presented annually since 1962.
Yamashita, who is third in the world rankings, became the third Japanese rookie to earn the honor, joining Hiromi Kobayashi (1990) and Mao Saigo (2024).
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Sumo
Onosato, Aonishiki Tied for Kyushu Basho Lead
Yokozuna Onosato's unbeaten run at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament ended on Tuesday, November 18, in Fukuoka.
Fifth-ranked maegashira Yoshinofuji defeated Onosato on Day 10 with a frontal push-out.
Onosato and Ukrainian Aonishiki are tied for the lead (9-1) in the final grand sumo tournament of 2025.
With the upset victory over Onosato, Yoshinofuji raised his record to 7-3.
"I'm very happy," Yoshinofuji said after beating Onosato, according to Kyodo News. "My initial charge was good. It was exactly what I was trying to do."
Also Tuesday, Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu improved to 8-2, defeating fourth-ranked maegashira Oshoma.
The 15-day Kyushu Basho ends on November 23.
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Basketball
B.League's Longest Current Winning Streaks
The B.League's Gunma Crane Thunders swept the Fighting Eagles Nagoya in a weekend series on November 15-16, closing out the weekend with a 103-78 triumph in Nagoya.
As a result, Gunma coach Kyle Milling's team extended its winning streak to eight ― the longest current streak in the B.League ― and improved to 12-6.
Also on Sunday, the Levanga Hokkaido (14-4) won their seventh consecutive game, pulling within one game of the Eastern Conference-leading Chiba Jets.
In the Western Conference, the SeaHorses Mikawa (12-6) closed out the weekend with their fifth win in a row. Moreover, the Nagasaki Velca (16-2) stretched their unbeaten run to four games.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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