Going places: Japanese cricketers Akari Nishimura, Elena Kusuda and Erika Oda will be playing in South Africa’s inaugural Global Cricket Tournament at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
| Photo Credit: P.K. AJITH KUMAR
It is not often that you would find cricket and Japan in the same sentence. The game may have been introduced to the locals by the British in the 19th century, but it hasn’t yet quite caught the imagination of the people of a country that is one of Asia’s sporting superpowers.
But, things are changing. And you could see the change at Centurion this past week. Three female cricketers trained at the SuperSport Park, ahead of the inaugural edition of the Global Cricket Tournament this week at Irene, near Centurion.
Akari Nishimura, Elena Kusuda and Erika Oda reached Centurion ahead of Christmas and also watched the first Test between South Africa and India. “It was great watching a Test in front of such a big crowd,” said Elena. “Having grown up in Brisbane, I used to watch Tests at the Gabba.” She is thrilled that she has become a part of the new women’s tournament in South Africa and is looking forward to the event that features stars of South African women’s cricket like Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch and Masabata Klaas. “This is a big opportunity for us and women’s cricket in Japan,” she said.
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Like Elena, Erika too has watched Test cricket before, in New Zealand. “I feel really lucky to be able to play cricket in such a wonderful facility here in South Africa, with great coaches, strength coaches, physios, everything,” he said. “It is an incredible experience considering we are from a country where cricket is still developing.”
The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) believes the development will now be faster following the IOC’s decision to include cricket in the 2028 Olympics. “It represents a major opportunity for cricket in Japan and we are excited about working with the Japan Olympic Council in the coming years,” said Naoki Alex Miyaji, CEO, JCA.
Alan Curr, Head of Cricket Operations, JCA, said the IOC’s decision helped the game gain more attention. “We have a wonderfully diverse cricket community,” he said. “Women’s cricket in Japan perhaps peaked between 2008 and 2012 when we had a strong team and won bronze at the 2010 Asian Games.”
