IPOH – Experienced Japanese forward Shota Yamada has a personal goal of becoming the top scorer in the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The 29-year-old, who has scored a total of 40 goals in 146 appearances for the Samurais, was conferred with the man of the match medal for his exceptional performance in his side’s 2-1 victory against South Korea in the opening match at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh yesterday.
Shota, who netted his team’s second goal against the world number 11 Koreans, said that he aims to maintain his fine form in the tournament by scoring as many goals as possible in their remaining matches.
The world number 16 Japanese side will be taking on New Zealand today.
“I love playing in tournaments like this, and I have been enjoying the environment in Malaysia over the past few days. My personal goal is to finish as the top scorer in this tournament and win the prestigious title with Japan if possible.
“On top of that, since we failed to qualify for this year’s Paris Olympics, I want to use this tournament to improve myself and connect with the young players in this revamped team.
“I’m an athlete who likes to put in 100% effort to improve my game every day. I hope to prove myself to the maximum in this tournament and also help my young teammates with the knowledge and experience that I have gained over the years.
“Age is not a limit for me, and I hope to get selected for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on merit,” said Yamada during a post-match conference yesterday.
Japan failed to qualify for Paris after finishing seventh in the qualifying round held in Valencia, Spain, earlier this year.
They also finished 11th in the final standings of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
For the record, India was the only Asian team out of 10 countries to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Japan’s best performance in the history of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was when they finished fourth in the 2022 edition. They lost 5-3 to Pakistan in the playoff for the bronze medal.
In terms of the Asian Games, Japan has won a total of four medals (one gold, one silver, and two bronze) since their first participation in the 1958 edition in Tokyo.
Their last gold medal in the Asian Games was won at the 2018 edition in Jakarta, Indonesia. – May 5, 2024