Motohashi dreaming big for Japan: ''Our goal is to win the gold medal''

TOKYO (Japan) - My country, Japan, is just months away from hosting the 2020 Olympics and I have to admit, it's getting me excited.

We're going to be ambitious. Our goal is to win the gold medal. Yes, there are going to be a lot of very good teams that will also have big aims but we're working hard and plan to be at our best and we know the fans are going to be right behind us.

In the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Ostend, we beat Sweden but lost to Belgium and Canada in a couple of very close games. We already had our place in the Olympics secured but we wanted to win all of our fixtures in Belgium, so those losses were disappointing but we're going to learn from our mistakes.

"I JUST NEVER IMAGINED THAT I WOULD JOIN THE NATIONAL TEAM BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THE LEVEL OF MY BASKETBALL WAS ENOUGH."- Nako Motohashi

I really believe those setbacks are going to make us stronger and we'll be more confident than ever when the Tokyo Games start.

In saying all this, I never dreamed I'd be in this position, about to play at the Olympics. I just never imagined that I would join the national team because I didn't think the level of my basketball was good enough.

First of all, I hadn't played for Japan's youth teams and even after turning professional, representing my country was simply not something that I considered.

I was happy with life before I got this great chance. I grew up knowing I wanted an education, so when I graduated from Waseda University at 22, that was a big deal for me. On that note, I think a lot of basketball players, or people that play sports in general, would find my course of study interesting, in fact.

The topic of my graduation thesis was on the psychological impact caused by sports injury.

I loved basketball but also liked to switch off and think about other things. For example, I do a lot of reading when I'm playing for my club team, the Tokyo Haneda Vickies. I like spending time with my dog. My favorite movie is A Dog's Purpose. 

For me, my purpose wasn't to represent my country. Or at least it wasn't until I became a part of the Japan team.

Out of the blue, I received an invitation from the Japanese Basketball Association to attend a training camp. It was before the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Tenerife, Spain. Our national team coach, Tom Hovasse, wanted to look at  some players that hadn't been a part of the program and I was one of them.

"Everyone in the team is flexible... I'm surrounded by great players" - Motohashi

I realized immediately that I had a chance to do something extraordinary. I actually felt some pressure at first but then made up my mind to just focus on playing my basketball. I worked desperately hard to learn everything I could and I also tried to get the most out of the experience, knowing that no matter what, I would be a better player and person after it.

As it turned out, the training camp went well and I was selected to play for the national team. I decided from that point just to do my best for me, and Japan, and enjoy it.

"IF I CONCENTRATE ON DOING MY BEST, THE WAY I PLAY, IT HELPS JAPAN GET INTO A FASTER GAME."- Motohashi

So what is it like? Now there's more pressure when I play the game with a Japan uniform on, yet it's a good pressure. I don't want to let anyone down. The good thing is I'm surrounded by great players. Everyone in the team is flexible, multi-skilled and I feel comfortable playing alongside them.

My style is a good fit with what we're trying to do, which is to play fast in an organized way. If I concentrate on doing my best, the way I play, it helps Japan get into a faster game.

The World Cup was a good learning experience. I started and played a lot of minutes but we didn't go as far as we had wanted, falling to China one step shy of the Quarter-Finals.

Things went a lot better last year at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup in India. I was coming off a difficult season with my club, Tokyo Haneda Vickies, but everything worked for me in Bengaluru. We won all of our games and I played well and was named as the MVP of the tournament. This was incredible, both winning the title and getting that award. I was relieved that everything went well.

I'll never forget the win over Australia in the Semi-Finals.

They didn't have Liz Cambage in that game but several weeks later, we beat Australia again at the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Kuala Lumpur when they did have her. Although probably one of the big reasons for the win was that she was ejected in the fourth quarter. 

Something else has struck me. I've noticed that since becoming a national team player, a lot more people are coming to watch our Tokyo Haneda Vickies games. Maybe that reinforces the idea that fans feel a strong connection to the Japan team.

In Ostend, we knew the competition at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament was going to be tough and that the teams we were going to face would give everything. Belgium have a great team and so do Canada. In the other Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, the USA, Spain, France, China, Australia, Nigeria - they all showed how great they are, too. It means the Olympic tournament is going to be played at a high level and I'm looking forward to being a part of it.

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Nako MOTOHASHI

Nako Motohashi has been a revelation in international basketball as a point guard with Japan's national team. She made her national team bow at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2018 in Tenerife, Spain, led the country to the top of the podium at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2019 in Bengaluru, India, played at both the FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Oostende, Belgium.