– Expanded from last year, with a total of eight universities from seven countries and regions competing in a tournament format –
Rakuten Group, Inc.
Japan University Basketball Federation
＞Official website URL: https://wubseries.com/
Rakuten Group, Inc. (hereinafter “Rakuten”) and the Japan University Basketball Federation (hereinafter “JUBF”) are pleased to announce that they will host the tournament “Sun Chlorella presents World University Basketball Series 2023” (hereinafter “WUBS 2023”) for top-level men’s university basketball teams.
”WUBS 2023″ will be organized by JUBF with operational support from Rakuten Sports, Rakuten’s global sports business including support for athletes. This second edition of the tournament, following last year’s inaugural event, will again be sponsored by Sun Chlorella Co., Ltd. as title partner and will take place over four days from Thursday, August 10 to Sunday, August 13, 2023, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium Second Gymnasium. This year, teams from North America and Oceania will join for the first time, and eight men’s university basketball teams from seven countries and regions, including the United States, Indonesia, Australia, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and the Philippines, will participate. Tickets went on sale today at the official website (https://wubseries.com).
The participating schools are Radford University in the United States, where player Yuzuru Yamazaki is enrolled; Perbanas Institute in Indonesia; the University of Sydney in Australia; Korea University in South Korea; National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Chinese Taipei; Tokai University and Hakuoh University in Japan, the champion and runner-up of the 74th All Japan University Basketball Championship; and Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, the winner of the first WUBS tournament. This tournament will feature a total of 12 games in a tournament format over three days from Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 13 to determine the series champion. In addition, on Thursday, August 10, an exhibition match between the Japanese Students National Select Team (JUBF Select) and Ateneo de Manila University will be held as “Opening Night” (tentative).
Naoki Hayashi, Chairman of JUBF and Chairman of the World University Basketball Series Executive Committee, commented as follows: “WUBS, which launched last year, is now set to hold its second tournament this year. This is thanks entirely to the efforts of everyone involved, and we are deeply grateful. This year, with university teams from the U.S. NCAA joining the field, the event will feature eight teams, and we expect even more intense competition than last year and hope it will become an even more attractive tournament. Through this event, we also hope to broaden the circle of friendship and contribute to the development of university basketball around the world. As social restrictions continue to ease, we sincerely hope many members of the basketball community will join us and enjoy this tournament filled with excitement and smiles.”
Taishi Nakayama, President and Representative Director of Sun Chlorella Co., Ltd., commented as follows: “We are honored to be involved as a partner company in WUBS again this year, following last year. The number of participating universities has increased from four last year to eight this year, and we feel that WUBS’s presence is growing. With the addition of Ateneo de Manila University, the inaugural WUBS champion, Tokai University, winner of the 74th All Japan University Basketball Championship, and Radford University, an NCAA Division I team, this year’s tournament offers even more highlights than last year, and we look forward to seeing many basketball fans at the venue.”
Rakuten and JUBF will continue to provide promising next-generation athletes with opportunities to excel through WUBS, while sharing the appeal of basketball with fans around the world and supporting the development of the sport.
■Comments from the Participating Teams in “WUBS 2023”
Head Coach, Radford University (USA), Darris Nichols
“We are very honored to be invited to WUBS 2023. This tournament will be a wonderful opportunity for us to learn and grow both on and off the court.”
Head Coach, Perbanas Institute (Indonesia), Rakhmad Hidaya
“We are looking forward to participating in WUBS 2023. We believe this tournament will be a great opportunity for our team to reflect on where we stand in the university basketball world and what we can improve. It will also give us a chance to meet fellow players who are walking this path together.”
Head Coach, University of Sydney (Australia), Tom Garlepp
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to compete in WUBS, representing university basketball in Sydney and in Australia. We are honored to be invited to a tournament like this. With respect for the organizers and our opponents, we want to enter the tournament with the fighting spirit that Australia is proud of.”
Head Coach, Korea University (South Korea), Chu Hee-jung
“Although the COVID-19 pandemic made it very difficult to hold international tournaments, we are pleased to be able to stage WUBS 2023 again this year, following last year. We are very happy and honored that Korea University will participate as Korea’s representative. Korea University is the champion of the 2021 and 2022 university leagues, and as a prestigious institution with a long history and tradition, it has produced the most professional basketball players in Korea. We believe that competing in WUBS 2023 alongside world-class players will be a valuable experience for our student-athletes as well. We hope that all participating teams will grow through this tournament.”
Head Coach, National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei), Chen Tzu-wei
“We are grateful to be invited to WUBS once again. We are looking forward to playing against other outstanding university basketball teams from around the world. This tournament is a valuable opportunity for us to compete with the world’s best, and we thank JUBF and Rakuten Sports for inviting us. As the university basketball champion of Chinese Taipei, we look forward to showing our best performance and interacting with players and coaches from other countries.”
Head Coach, Tokai University (Japan), Akira Rikukawa
“We are extremely honored to take part in WUBS 2023, which is being held for the second time this year. A tournament where the world’s strongest universities gather in Japan to compete for supremacy is something I don’t think has existed in the past. We will take on this valuable opportunity together as a team, without fear and with everything we’ve got, and we hope to gain the best possible experience. We encourage everyone to come to the venue and support us. Finally, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Japan University Basketball Federation, everyone at Rakuten Sports, and Sun Chlorella for serving as title sponsor.”
Head Coach, Hakuoh University (Japan), Tomoo Amino
“We are grateful to be competing in WUBS 2023. While enjoying international exchange with the other participating teams, we will do our best to establish our rhythm through defense, which is our style. Through WUBS 2023, we will give our all so that the appeal of basketball can reach as many people as possible, so please cheer for us.”
Head Coach, Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), Tab Baldwin
“We, the Blue Eagles, are looking forward to participating in WUBS again in 2023, following last year. This year, we plan to compete with a new lineup. This tournament will give us international experience through basketball and the opportunity to play in Japan again, and I think it will be one of our most exciting events in 2023.”
■Event Overview of “Sun Chlorella presents World University Basketball Series 2023”
Tournament Name: Sun Chlorella presents World University Basketball Series 2023
Organizer: Japan University Basketball Federation (JUBF)
Organizer: World University Basketball Series Executive Committee
Operational Support: Rakuten Sports
Schedule: August 10 (Thu)–13 (Sun), 2023
Venue: Yoyogi National Gymnasium Second Gymnasium (2-1-1 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Format: Tournament
Number of Games: 13 in total (1 exhibition game, 12 tournament games)
Tournament Schedule:
【Opening Night (tentative)】
Date and time: Thursday, August 10, 2023, from 19:00
Details: Exhibition match between the Japanese Students National Select Team (JUBF Select) and Ateneo de Manila University (winner of the inaugural tournament)
– Doors open at 16:45
– Game starts at 19:00 Japan Students National Select Team (JUBF Select) vs. Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines / winner of the inaugural tournament)
【First Round of the Tournament】
Friday, August 11, 2023
– Doors open at 10:15
– Game 1 11:00 Tokai University (Japan) vs National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei)
– Game 2 13:30 Korea University (South Korea) vs Radford University (USA)
– Game 3 16:00 Perbanas Institute (Indonesia) vs Hakuoh University (Japan)
– Game 4 18:30 University of Sydney (Australia) vs Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
【Semifinals and Two Other Games】
Saturday, August 12, 2023
– Doors open at 10:15
– Game 5 11:00 Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2
– Game 6 13:30 Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4
– Semifinal 1 (Game 7) 16:00 Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
– Semifinal 2 (Game 8) 18:30 Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
【Final and Placement Games】
Sunday, August 13, 2023
– Doors open at 10:15
– 7th Place Match (Game 9) 11:00 Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6
– 5th Place Match (Game 10) 13:30 Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6
– 3rd Place Match (Game 11) 16:00 Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8
– Final (Game 12) 18:30 Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8
*The schedule is subject to change on the day of the event.
Participating Teams: Radford University (USA), Perbanas Institute (Indonesia), University of Sydney (Australia), Korea University (South Korea), National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei), Tokai University (Japan), Hakuoh University (Japan), Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
Rules: In accordance with FIBA rules
Broadcasting: NBA Rakuten, the NBA (National Basketball Association) video streaming service for Japan operated by Rakuten
*Additional streaming platforms may be added in the future.
Ticket inquiries: com-ticket-wubs@mail.rakuten.com
Event inquiries: com-wubs@mail.rakuten.com
■About Rakuten Sports
Rakuten Sports is committed to building partnerships based on shared values with professional sports teams, athletes, sponsors, and rights holders.
https://biz.sports.rakuten.net/ja/
■About the Japan University Basketball Federation (JUBF)
The Japan University Basketball Federation is an organization dedicated to strengthening, promoting, and developing university basketball in Japan. JUBF is also a member of the Japan Basketball Association and the Japan Association for College Athletics and now has 352 men’s teams and 293 women’s teams registered. Japan’s student federations are divided into 11 federations across nine districts, each of which oversees university basketball in its respective region.
■About Sun Chlorella Co., Ltd.
Sun Chlorella is a health food company that markets products centered on the green algae chlorella in countries around the world. Chlorella contains more than 60 essential nutrients and components, including high-quality plant-based protein, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. With growing attention on chlorella’s nutritional benefits, Sun Chlorella A Powder, which has obtained anti-doping certification, has been adopted as the official superfood of the BROOKLYN NETS, a professional basketball team in the United States, and has also been used by professional basketball player Yuta Watanabe as part of his training and conditioning, making it a product trusted by many athletes. The company is also committed to discovering and developing future players through chlorella, including through its “GLOBALLERS Project,” which nurtures young basketball players.
Sun Chlorella official website: https://www.sunchlorella.co.jp/
GLOBALLERS Project official website: https://scgloballers.com/
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*The information listed here is current as of the date of announcement. Please note that it may differ from the latest information.