JAPAN’s men’s basketball team now qualifies for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris after beating Cape Verde on Saturday night.⁠ ⁠ Akatsuki Japan defeated the Blue Sharks 80-71, marking their third win in the Okinawa tournament after Finland and Venezuela.⁠ ⁠ Hovasse said the 4th quarter was “hectic and could have been disastrous,” but he trusted the team. Joshua Hawkinson emerged on top with 29 points and Keisei Tominaga contributed 22 points.⁠ ⁠ Yuta Watanabe, the team’s lone player from the NBA, averaged 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in five games. He previously considered retiring from the team if they did not make it to the Olympics.⁠ ⁠ “I was really worried about [having] such a big mouth,” Watanabe posted on X, formerly Twitter, after Saturday’s victory. “Everyone helped me. I will continue as a [national team] representative until I die. Thank you for your continued support!”⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ✍️Comment “email” to sign up to our daily newsletter.⁠ 📰Follow us for the latest Asian News NextShar...