[Close-up] "I've got this. Just be ready." "Win, so wait for it."

Defeating China to Win the Asian Games. The Path Japan Took Behind Its Feat for the Ages After 60 Years

The highlight of the table tennis competition at the Asian Games was the men's Team Event Final held on September 24. The Japanese men's team defeated the invincible China, bringing unprecedented joy to people across Japan. Even among a tournament that was lit up by a flood of medals, the feat of Japan's men's table tennis team in beating the champions stands out with especially vivid impact.

Win, so wait for it.

That short line from Tomokazu. HARIMOTO was immensely reassuring, a word that fired up the Japanese men's team on the Final stage.

　Japan's men's victory at the Asian Games came for the first time in 60 years, since the 1966 Bangkok Games. It swept the crowd at Sky Hall Toyota in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and viewers in front of their TVs into a wave of jubilation. By the way, the gold medalists at the 1966 Games were Koji Kimura, Hiroshi Takahashi, Nobuhiko Hasegawa, and Keiichi Miki. Since China did not take part at that time, a Japanese men's gold medal won by defeating China is an unprecedented achievement in history.