Japan coach

Raiki Fujishima took over as captain of the Japan men’s hockey team only four months ago but the 24-year old has his work cut out.

Japan hockey hit a high when it won the 2018 Asian Games against all expectations but since then, the team has languished in the 14-18 bracket in FIH rankings. Hosting the next edition of the continental games, Japan is hoping to come full circle, starting with the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China.

“We are a young team and so every match for us is like a step forward in growing up. It’s a good experience here and we have positive comments after every game, we are preparing well with a positive mindset,” Fujishima told The Hindu in an interaction.

The Azlan Shah Cup in May was the first outing for Fujishima as the captain, taking over from veteran Masaki Ohashi who stepped down after a disappointing outing at the Olympic Qualifiers in January. With five members from the Tokyo Olympics in the ranks, including then captain Manabu Yamashita, Fujishima is aware of his team’s lack of experience.

“The difference between the team from 2018-21 and after Tokyo is that the former had a lot of camps and matches to prepare, which showed on the field. Since then, however, we have had very few chances. Those who were not part of the Tokyo cycle did not have enough opportunities to grow. But our target here is to first reach the final and then win it,” he insisted.

With a new coach in 36-year old Yoshihiro Anai, Japan is looking to rebuild with an eye on LA 2028 with the 2026 Asiad at home being the first big stop.

“There are a lot of areas to work on for us in the next two years — positioning, attacking, thinking about every zone on the field and risk management while selecting the players and the gameplan for the day being some of them. Strategic decision-making and tightening the defence to delay the opposition attacks are the main objectives,” Anai said.

He also did a SWOT analysis of his team. “Our strength is our discipline but we are not ranked very high, so playing against higher ranked sides with an inexperienced side will be a challenge. At the ACT, all teams barring India are in a similar situation with new staff and less experienced players so there is little difference between us and that is an opportunity to get some crucial ranking points. At the same time, we haven’t seen them play after the Azlan Shah Cup so we don’t have information on their development, which is a concern,” Anai explained.