Just days away from the start of track and field's biggest competition of 2009, top officials from the Japan Association of Athletics Federations expressed pride in its athletes and confidence that they'll have a successful showing in Germany.
"I would like you all to perform understanding the great expectations people have," JAAF president Yohei Kono told the national team during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon at a Tokyo hotel.
"The (Japanese) citizens have high expectations for the world championships," he added. "We've seen you have shown great outcomes, making big progress. We hope that you all show your growth in Berlin. The real-deal athletes can't be competitive only in the nation. The real samurai can compete fairly in the world.