Date:24/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/24/stories/2006052408482000.htm

Sport - Football

Japanese u-20 team arrives

BANGALORE: A 28-member Japanese under-20 football team arrived in the city in the wee hours of Tuesday. The team is here to get acclimatised for the forthcoming Asian youth (under-20) football championship to be held in October this year.

While the group A and B matches of the championship will be held in Kolkata, the group C and D encounters will be held in Bangalore.

"Among the players only five of them don't figure in the J-League," said Japan manager Keita Yamashita. "We played a tournament in Doha during January which included teams from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China and Iran, and emerged winners there. But last month we lost 2-0 to China in a friendly," said Yamashita, who rates China and South Korea as the favourites for the title.

The boys have been training under head coach Yasushi Yoshida for over a year and will be returning to Japan before having a training programme in Thailand next month.

The Japanese team, which is yet to be named, will play two practice games against the India under-20 team, currently training at a camp in SAI (South Centre), on May 25 and 28 while another friendly fixture has been arranged with HAL on May 26. All the matches will be held at the Bangalore Football Stadium. — Principal Correspondent