One and a half months have past since the Japan Beach Soccer National team won second place in the 2015 AFC Beach Soccer Championship in Qatar in March, earning a ticket to the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in July. The team started their first training camp since the championship in Okinawa.

Although the rainy season has already started in Okinawa, the players held a two-hour practice session under the cloudy sky on the first day of the camp. This time the squad includes three new faces as well as some, who have not joined for the team for a while, in addition to the players of the 2015 AFC Beach Soccer Championship.

At the beginning of the practice session, head coach Marcelo Mendes told the players the aim and the goal of this training camp. Only 12 players will be able to stay for the international friendly, which will be held in one month, and for the coming World Cup. All the players shared the belief that they had to stay competitive, practicing productively during this one-week training camp.

The players communicated with each other very well in the training session during basic exercises. They finished with a 20-minute practice game, checking each other’s condition and some movements for the set pieces.

Players’ Comments

SAITO Masaki (Vamos a la Casa)
I’m very proud to join the national team at this camp for the first time. After the first day of the camp, I strongly felt I had to improve the quality of my basic skills to catch up with this level. I’d like to keep thinking about challenging a lot from tomorrow, enjoying myself playing in the high-level environment.

As I usually teach at a junior high school, my pupils encouraged me before the training camp, saying ‘good luck!’ I’d like to live up to their expectations by practicing as hard as I can during this camp.

MAKINO Shinji (LEON FUKUOKA)
It’s the first camp after earning a place for the World Cup and there are some new faces as well as some players, who have recovered from their injuries. I think there is a really electrified atmosphere at the camp. As the match schedule of the World Cup has been decided, I’d like to prepare myself enough, staying competitive in the team so that I will be selected for the final squad.

UEHARA Tomoya (SOL MAR PRAIA)
As I joined the national team’s training camp for the first time after a while just before the coming World Cup, I attended the practice session today with an apprehensive feeling. I do enjoy myself a lot playing with my teammates again. I’d like to keep concentrating during this camp, practicing as hard as possible, so that I’ll be chosen for the World Cup. I’ll focus on each practice session and meeting in order to understand the coach’s tactics and to take them into the matches.

Schedule

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Future Schedule