One day after they became the first Japanese team to clinch a berth at next summer's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the players and staff of Japan's women's basketball team made a triumphant return home with the gold medals around their necks on Sunday evening.
"We set ourself the goal of earning a berth at Rio and winning the title for the second straight time, entering the tournament," said head coach Tomohide Utsumi, at a hotel near Narita international airport on Sunday.
Utsumi's Hayabusa Japan squad defeated China 85-50 in Saturday's final to capture the FIBA Asia Women's Championship in Wuhan, China, and a ticket to the Olympics.