Yes, it is Shinoya. She's already 30 this year, while Yamashita still has a few years left for him. It looks like Yamashita will try for MD with Midorikawa. The pair won the Ranking Circuit in June. However, Midorikawa is still playing XD with Saito and they're in Team A so it will be hard to make the MD partnership work since the MD pair's ranking is nowhere near the top 32. Kaneko/Matsutomo have not called it quit yet, and Japan has a 5th and younger pair (Nishi/Sato) currently in Team B but is already in the top 40 after a year on the circuit. They'll probably get promoted to Team A next year.
It is not only Watanabe Yuta, but also Higashino Arisa who has tied the knot. Today she married Igarashi Yu, former national team player, and current coach for BIPROGY. She intends to play WD using her new surname.
There are plenty of links on the "バドミントンYahoo" page at https://follow.yahoo.co.jp/themes/0b46836b813850607927/
I haven't been able to find anything, but I envisage a fairly large turnover. It is highly unlikely that Park Joo-Bong's contract will be extended past March 2025 (when it is due to expire) and, as he was instrumental in inviting Jeremy Gan and Tan Kim Her over to Japan, they may well depart, too. I believe that both of them are also in the final year of their contract. Nakashima Kei (a naturalised Japanese national) led the coaching team at the Paris Olympics, and I was anticipating that he might be appointed Head Coach from next April, but his age (he is actually older than PJB) may prove detrimental. I will try to keep an eye out for any news.
Tsuneyama Kanta has left the national team. He is due to feature at the All Japan Championships at the end of the year, but this is the end of the line for him. He cites post-Tokyo Olympics injuries as the cause of his departure. This now leaves us with only two MS players left in national team A, ... and they are not performing particularly well, either.
Another NBA flop. Apparently, the association mistakenly omitted to enter Sakuramoto/Igarashi (formerly Higashino) for the Denmark Open.
Maybe just ask Momota to come back should be better than LZJ right ? Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk
NagaMatsu announced their dissolution as a WD pair immediately after the Paris Olympics. It now appears that Matsumoto Mayu will be pairing up with Fukushima Yuki; the two players have been entered for the Kumamoto Masters, starting on November 12. Matsumoto will leave Hokuto Bank following the 2024/2025 S/J League. That aside, Imabeppu Kaori has left her position as a National Team A coach.
It has been reported in the media that Park Joo Bong will retire from his position as Head Coach in January 2025, and that there will be a re-organisation of the coaching team (no specific details). Interestingly, the NBA have issued a press release, disassociating themselves from the news, and stating that they have no information to convey to the public at this time.
Ohori Aya's father, Ohori Hitoshi, will become NBA's next head coach. The announcement was made by the NBA today. Park Joo Bong will relinquish his role at the end of December 2024 and assume an advisory role as of January 2025.
