L to R: Cuba coach Sanchez, Finland coach Sammelvuo, Japan coach Nambu, Korea coach Kim
Osaka, Japan, June 16, 2016 - Friday’s matches in Osaka (Group 2, Pool B) will see Cuba face Korea, while the host team Japan will go up against Finland.
Cuba coach Rodolfo Luis Sanchez: "The Cuban team is very happy to come to Osaka. Our goal for this tournament is to pay one match at a time, with everyone playing their role well. We really hope to make a good impression on the Japanese spectators here."
Regarding the condition of the captain, Cepeda Abreu: "He is a very important player as our captain, but even if he is not in a good state, we have a good substitution for him. We are one of the youngest teams in the Olympics, but we’re happy and excited, and the World League will be great preparation for the Rio Olympics."
Korea coach Kim Namsung: "Last year our team didn’t fare so well, so we tried to renew things with new staff and new players, and we will make our best efforts in this tournament, as we try to build and prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."
Finland coach Tuomas Sammelvuo: "First of all it is great to be in Japan. We were here three years ago last time, and I also personally played here one year. It is great to be back in this country. Very good organization, and it’s good to be here. Our team is a very young team, half the team is new compared to last year. And our goal is to be every day better than yesterday. Concerning practice, games, and the life that we face together every day. We are really excited to start tomorrow with the home team, Japan. We are extremely motivated and waiting with excitement for these games."
Japan coach Masashi Nambu: "We’re happy to start this competition at home, and this is a very important tournament for our younger players to get some experience. […] After the Olympic Qualification Tournament, we called some younger players to the team in order to give them a some experience, but of course we need our veteran players too. So our goal for this World League is to make some strong improvements overall."