The Japanese spectators’ wonderful gesture to Finland inspired people in Okinawa, writes Roope Visuri of Urheilu.
Roope Visuri Sports reporter
OKINAWA. Käärijä’s Cha Cha Cha sounds more than 8,000 kilometers away from Finland. in Okinawa, Japan. There’s quite a basketball party going on. Finland’s national men’s basketball team, Susijengi, has the reigning Olympic bronze medalist Australia in its grip.
One of Finland’s brightest young basketball hopes Olivier Nkamhoua has just flashed his potential and made two such saves, the likes of which have not been seen much from Finnish national team players. At least for a decade.
The Finns who are there, according to an informed estimate there are a little less than 500 of them, think it’s quite a mecca.
Could it be possible that Susijengi makes a big splash and reaches its best advance again against a tougher opponent?
Not anyway. Finland lasts in the match until almost halftime before Australia gets the game under control.
The difference in level was particularly visible in one matter
Australia went their separate ways, and that’s no surprise at all. The teams have a clear material difference in playmakers, which at least throughout history has been considered the most important playing field in basketball.
Nowadays, the playmaker’s role is not necessarily so big anymore, but still the difference in level was visible in the match between Finland and Australia. Especially when Australia’s best players were found on the playmakers’ side.
Of course, it doesn’t make it any easier to compare that the trio of playmakers who also appeared in the European Championships last year Miro Little, Ilari Seppälä and Edon Maxhuni preparation for the World Championships has been very hectic.
Now 19 losses from the whole team was still simply too much for Finland to fight for victory. It also happened that the biggest star Lauri Markkanenka too was not, for example, in god mode like last spring’s European Championships.
In light of these things, the crushing defeat was no longer a surprise at all.
A nice gesture from the Japanese
The biggest surprise was found on the side of the stand. A lot of Japanese had come to the match on the spot. Much more than you would think for a game where you don’t play your own team and the starting time is unfavorably on a weekday afternoon.
There were also a few Japanese people in Markkanen’s Utah shirt cheering on Finland.
The most surprising moment of Susijengi’s World Cup opening was already seen before the match, when Susijengi came back from the dressing room to warm up a good half hour before the start of the match.
The Japanese, who had already reached the hall, demonstrated without being asked and without anyone’s encouragement to show honor to the Finnish national team.
Of course, even before the opening of the World Cup in Okinawa, there have been strong signs of respect for Finns and basketball, but the moment still surprised me.
Sports culture at its best.