World Lacrosse Super Sixes: Hong Kong should follow our lead to grow, Japan official says, hails city’s tournaments
- Fogo Japan general manager Chris Jinno points to development programme in country’s universities and schools
- Nation is ranked fifth in men’s game globally after strong showing at World Championships
A lacrosse boss in Japan believe Hong Kong has developed a reputation for hosting the best tournaments in the region, but said the city needed to follow their example if it wanted to keep developing on the pitch.
With a men’s team ranked fifth in the world, Japan has consistently been Asia’s best performer at the World Championships, and an official at the game’s governing body in the country said it was all down to their work at university and club level.
Japan will be one of six teams taking part in the World Lacrosse Super Sixes in Hong Kong later this month, where they have been placed alongside China and Germany in Group A, with the hosts in Group B with the Philippines and Great Britain.
“I’d say Hong Kong is one of the more developed countries even throughout the world,” Chris Jinno, general manager of Fogo Japan, said. “But in Japan, the sport is developed at the university level with over 15,000 players that play all over the country.
“So, one piece of advice would be to keep developing the game like Japan because senior players tend to play longer and help develop the sport after they graduate.
“I think what makes Japan really good is the discipline of the top players, and the extensive domestic national championships that have over 200 participating teams each year.”
