George Washington University Athletics
@GW_MBB Announces Schedule for Tour of Japan
7/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WASHINGTON -- The GW men's basketball team on Monday revealed plans for its foreign trip to Japan next month.
GW is set to depart on August 10 and return August 22, and will play four games in four cities while student-athletes will also participate in a sport globalization course offered by the GW School of Business from the 12th to the 17th.
The trip marks a homecoming for junior Yuta Watanabe, a native of Kagawa, Japan, who earlier this month played for the National Team -- dubbed the Akatsuki Five-- in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Serbia.
"I'm looking forward to going and introducing Japan to my team," said Watanabe. "Japan is a great country and I know they are going to love it there. I really appreciate the people who planned this opportunity. It is going to be a fun trip and I can't wait to play a basketball game in front of Japanese fans."
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The trip is being sponsored by the Japanese Basketball Association, the governing body of basketball in Japan which is responsible for the National Team.
After departing on the 10th, the GW contingent will arrive in Osaka on the afternoon of the 11th and be treated to a welcome dinner that evening. The group will enjoy a mix of sightseeing, local cuisine, classes for the student-athletes, and games, over the next 10 days. Following three nights in Osaka, GW will head to Tokyo on the 14th, Hamamatsu on the 18th and Okinawa on the 20th, before returning home on the 22nd.
On the court, GW will play the Japanese National Team three times along with one game vs. the Ryukyu Golden Kings of the Basketball Japan (BJ) League. The three-game series with the Akatsuki Five will commence on August 13 in Osaka, followed by a meeting on the 16th in Tokyo, with the final game slated for the 19th in Hamamatsu. GW ends its trip in Okinawa, where it will face the Golden Kings on the 21st.
The course being offered by the GW School of Business includes some members of the men's basketball team and other GW undergraduates studying the business of sports, with the aim of exploring the globalization of sport through the prism of Japan. During the trip, students will experience sport in Japan by attending sporting events, visiting iconic sports venues and meeting with officials and executives of leading sports companies. Assistant Teaching Professor of Management Mark Hyman will accompany the team and lead the class, which will also meet three times prior to departure.
There will be a number of ways to follow GW as it travels through Japan. Updates will be posted to Twitter (@GW_MBB), Instagram (GW_MBB), Snapchat (GW_George) and Facebook (GW Men's Basketball). Additionally, student-athletes will provide insight on their experience through GWsports.com's blog, 22nd & G.
Game Schedule
Saturday, August 13 vs. Japanese National Team
Venue: Fuminkyosai Super Arena (Osaka)
Tipoff: 4:00 p.m. local, 3:00 a.m. ET
Tuesday, August 16 vs. Japanese National Team
Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan (Tokyo)
Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. local, 6:00 a.m. ET
Friday, August 19 vs. Japanese National Team
Venue: Hamamatsu Arena (Hamamatsu)
Tipoff: 6:00 p.m. local, 5:00 a.m. ET
Sunday, August 21 vs. Ryukyu Golden Kings
Venue: Okinawa City Gymnasium (Okinawa)
Tipoff: 4:00 p.m. local, 3:00 a.m. ET
