Momota has been selected for the Thomas Cup team, as well as Miyazaki for the Uber Cup team. Great development for her to keep competing and earn more points towards her ranking. Momota is an interesting (and controversial) choice as his form is questionable and has been pulling out of the last few tournaments. Perhaps it is for morale that he has been selected. Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
Naraoka Kodai fans will already be aware of this development, but it appears that, as of April 2024, he has concluded a 'pro' contract with NTT-East. After the Paris Olympics, the NBA will be drastically cutting down on spending (its funding will be slashed to less than half of the current amount), with grave repercussions for overseas tournament expenses and national training camps. As Japanese national team players will, henceforth, be relying on their corporate employers to finance overseas trips, it has become incredibly important to position oneself within in a relatively affluent company. Naraoka has, until now, been independent. But this will no longer be a viable option after the NBA cuts back on support. As for NTT-East: With Momota nearing the end of his competitive career, this is perfect timing. I wonder what will happen to Paparaoka, though.
That is a good question, especially given the fact that most national training camps will also be scrapped. We will have to wait until after the Olympics to see where the scalpel cuts the deepest, but one thing is for sure: There is going to be a significant shift in the power balance between the NBA and corporate employers. What will the corporate teams place priority on? I am concerned that domestic events will come to gain much more importance .... perhaps, at the expense of international tournaments.
To my knowledge, there are four overseas coaches in NBA. Park Joo Bong Jeremy Gan Tan Kim Her Lee Wan Wah (junior squad) Park, Jeremy and Kim Her’s positions very much under consideration.
There are two more: Karel Leopold Mainaky and Choi Sangbeom; both National Team B coaches. Nakashima Kei naturalised, so he doesn't count. I would be surprised if Park Joo Bong's contract as Head Coach were to be renewed in April 2025. This is especially the case if Bird Japan exits Paris with no medals.
Japanese club players soon in Europe at the Luxembourg Open (International Challenge category)? https://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draws.aspx?id=484d5504-85e0-4b94-b5db-3e8861ea593a
