"We are not only oriented towards the results at the Asian Games here. We have to look in detail at the performances of our athletes, in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in two years," Japanese Olympic Chair Yasuhiro Yamashita said during a news conference in Jakarta on Saturday.
The Japanese will face stiff resistance from the Chinese in a number of sports at the 18th Asian Games, such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics and table tennis.
"We are indeed famous for excellence in sports, such as judo, wrestling, or screens," said the 61-year-old Yamashita.
Yamashita noted that the defeat of the Japanese women`s basketball team by the Chinese team, with a score of 73-105, and the defeat of the Japanese women`s water polo team, with a score of 8-12, by the Chinese women`s team, could be a lesson for the athletes of the Japanese team, looking towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"We are grateful to have been able to excel in the last few years in badminton, due to a coach from Indonesia," he said.
Japan`s Olympic Committee, Yamashita added, will focus on developing each athlete in the Asian Games, in order to reach the target of the third rank of the 2020 Olympics, with a total of 30 gold medals.
"The Chinese team is still superior to us. But, we have to challenge them to improve the appearance and quality of our athletes. If China and Japan get stronger, it will increase Asia`s power in the Olympics," he said.
Yamashita added that the 2018 Asian Games, and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, were motivating young Japanese athletes to participate and showcase their excellence.
"We have found many athletes developing among our younger generation. We want to draw on all the strength we have in all sectors to combine strength, not only from the Olympic committee but also to the sports administrators, the government and the organizing committee," Yamashita said.
Reporting by Imam Santoso
Editing by Eliswan, Bustanuddin
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
