News
SPORTS SHORTS | Tomokazu Harimoto Claims World Table Tennis Champions Title
Reporting on table tennis star Tomokazu Harimoto, FC Machida Zelvia's latest victory, Daichi Kamada's knee injury, Ichiro Suzuki's jersey retirement and more.
Two-time Olympian Tomokazu Harimoto outplayed reigning Chinese world champion Chuqin Wang in the men's singles final at the World Table Tennis Champions Yokohama tournament on Monday, August 11.
On Japan's Mountain Day, a national holiday, the 22-year-old Harimoto scaled a metaphorical mountaintop by beating Wang 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-13, 11-4 at Yokohama Buntai.
"It's really unbelievable. I'm 2-12 against him in my career, so I had to turn defiant," Harimoto was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "I lost to him 4-0 two weeks ago [in the US Smash 2025 final] as well and was left wondering, but my coaching team provided me with a plan. It's a win thanks to everyone in Japan."
World No 4 Harimoto also won the WTT Champions European Summer Series in 2022.
Consistent Scoring from Tomokazu Harimoto
En route to victory over second-ranked Wang in Monday's final, Harimoto held a 33-26 advantage in points when he held serve. He also outscored Wang 31-24 when the Chinese player was serving.
Harimoto admitted he was stunned by Monday's chain of events in the 1-hour, 7-minute match.
"Rather than happiness, I feel a strong sense of disbelief," Harimoto said, according to a WTT website news report. "When it comes to Wang Chuqin, I have lost so many times that I barely remember beating him.
"That's why I had to think a lot about my tactics, imagine a day like today, and that came true, so I am very happy."
Harimoto also expressed gratitude for the support he received during the tournament.
"I am really very thankful for them [the fans], and I think it's admirable that the Japanese fans cheered for every player from the very first day of the event," Harimoto told reporters. "Especially during today's matches, everyone cheered for me with all their strength."
The WTT Champions Yokohama was the third of six tournaments in this year's series. It featured the top-32 ranked players in both men's and women's singles.
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Soccer
FC Machida Zelvia Extend J.League Win Streak to 6
Yuta Nakayama and Yuki Soma scored first-half goals as FC Machida Zelvia defeated visiting Vissel Kobe 2-0 on Sunday, August 10, earning their sixth straight victory.
With the win, Zelvia (13-4-8, 43 points) moved four points behind the two-time reigning J.League champion in the standings. What's more, manager Go Kuroda's squad posted its fourth shutout in a row.
First-place Vissel (15-2-8, 47 points) was handed their first loss since May 31.
"[Although] we had a six-game winning streak in J2 (the J.League second division), this is our first six-game winning streak in J1," Kuroda told reporters after the match, citing team history in different years.
The manager then issued a message of caution and briefly outlined his team's immediate plans.
"The most important thing is to avoid complacency or overconfidence that could create vulnerabilities," Kuroda said. "We will take proper rest, prioritize physical recovery, and prepare for the upcoming home game against Cerezo Osaka."
Zelvia vs Cerezo is set for Saturday, August 16. Kickoff is 7 PM at Machida Gion Stadium.
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Crystal Palace's Kamada Injured in Community Shield Triumph
Veteran midfielder Daichi Kamada sustained a right knee injury in Crystal Palace's 3-2 penalty-shootout victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 10 in London.
The injury occurred in the first half.
After the traditional curtain-raiser for the English soccer season at Wembley Stadium, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said he doesn't believe Kamada's injury will require a long layoff in the Premier League.
"We might miss Daichi Kamada at Chelsea [on August 17] and it's times like this where we will assess our targets and find the right players," Glasner told TNT Sports, BBC Sport reported.
Kamada, 29, is in his second season with Crystal Palace.
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Baseball
Mariners Retire Hall of Famer Ichiro's Number
Two weeks after his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, Ichiro Suzuki was honored by the Seattle Mariners. His No 51 jersey was retired on Saturday, August 9 at T-Mobile Park.
Ichiro spoke about this special honor before the Mariners' game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
"It's something that you couldn't even dream or think about, and it actually happened," Ichiro said, according to The Associated Press.
The Mariners had previously retired the numbers of Ken Griffey Jr (24) and Edgar Martinez (11). They were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 and 2019, respectively.
A statue of Ichiro will be unveiled at Seattle's ballpark in 2026, the Mariners said on social media on Saturday. Currently, there are statues of Dave Niehaus, the team's beloved announcer who passed away in 2010, Griffey and Martinez at the ballpark.
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Basketball
Korea University Wins the World University Basketball Series
Kichan Yun sank 6 of 10 3-pointers and finished with a team-best 26 points to lead Korea University to a 95-85 win over the Philippines' De La Salle University on Monday, August 11. Korea University's triumph was in the World University Basketball Series championship match at Yoyogi National Stadium No 2 in Tokyo.
De La Salle University trailed 57-35 at halftime.
Mike Phillips paced the Filipino school with 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
In Monday's third-place match, Nippon Sport Science University beat the Japan University Select Team 86-72.
Shuma Nishibe had a team-high 24 points for the victors.
Yu Sato scored 11 points for the Japan University Select Team, which features top players representing schools throughout the nation.
The WUBS was established in 2022, and the fourth annual tourney was held August 9-11, with eight teams. Universities from Australia, China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan competed.
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.