NARITA, CHIBA PREF. ¨C One day after they became the first Japanese team to clinch a berth at next summer¡¯s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the players and staff of Japan¡¯s women¡¯s basketball team made a triumphant return home with the gold medals around their necks on Sunday evening.
¡°We set ourself the goal of earning a berth at Rio and winning the title for the second straight time, entering the tournament,¡± said head coach Tomohide Utsumi, at a hotel near Narita international airport on Sunday.
Utsumi¡¯s Hayabusa Japan squad defeated China 85-50 in Saturday¡¯s final to capture the FIBA Asia Women¡¯s Championship in Wuhan, China, and a ticket to the Olympics.
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