Rui Hachimura is back with Japan in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic basketballtournament. Unfortunately for Tom Hovasse’s men, Yuta Watanabe could be headed the other way.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Hachimura rejoined his national team for the first time since Tokyo 2020 on Saturday (29 June) but it was revealed that Watanabe is in a fitness race for this summer’s Games with a torn left calf muscle and no clear timetable for his return.
It goes without saying that should the former NBA forward be ruled out for Paris, it would be a blow for Japan who are on a mission to reach their first-ever Olympic quarter-final from a group including FIBA World Cup champions Germany, hosts France and a qualifier yet to be determined.
“I’ll say this now but I’ve been injured since the start of June and I aggravated it last week,” Watanabe said after the 16-man provisional squad practised in Tokyo. “I don’t have much time until the Games and I’m cutting it very close.
“Honestly, I’m a little frustrated because why now? But I could go on and on and it won’t change a a thing. I’m going to pour my soul into getting my leg as well as I can.
“Same thing happened last year (before the World Cup). I got hurt and I managed to somehow get through it so I hope to draw on that experience. As things stand, I don’t know how many weeks it could take.”
A lot will fall on the shoulders of Hachimura if Watanabe were to miss the Games, but the Tokyo 2020 Olympian appeared to be genuinely happy to be back ready to suit up for his home country.
“It’s great to be back with the national team after three years,” he said. “It’s an honour to play at the Olympics and I’m looking forward to it. We couldn’t get job the done at the Tokyo Olympics so I really hope this time we can show how far we’ve come.”
During Hachimura’s absence at last year’s home World Cup, Japan made strides, beating European opposition in Finland for their first time at the tournament and qualifying for an Olympic Games for the first time in 48 years.
Next week in home friendlies versus the Republic of Korea, Hachimura is expected to get his first game under Hovasse and a taste of some new team-mates like young guns Kawamura Yuki and Tominaga Keisei.
“I think I fit well into coach Tom’s style,” Hachimura said. “On offense, I think I can shine as an all-rounder. The first game against Germany will be crucial. I’m one of the older guys on the team now, and I hope I can have a positive impact on the younger guys.“
