The Japan Cup BMX freestyle meet, scheduled for June 2 to 4 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been upgraded from a domestic to an international competition, with the aim of attracting riders and spectators from overseas, organizers said Friday.
The top Japan Cup finishers at Umikaze Park will earn points for the Union Cycliste Internationale rankings needed to qualify for World Cup events, according to the Japan Freestyle BMX Federation and the city of Yokosuka.
"The event will be more exciting if riders come from overseas," Rim Nakamura, who won the men's park competition at the urban cycling world championships last November in Abu Dhabi, told a news conference in Yokosuka. "I want to show Japanese riders are strong."
Yokosuka hosted the Japan Cup last July for the first time and is aiming to vitalize its local communities through urban sports.
"I hope to see athletes make this meet a stepping stone toward the world stage," said Katsuaki Kamiji, the mayor of Yokosuka.