The Nepali U-14 team played five matches against the U-14 team of Japan and registered three wins during the tour from May 24 to June 1. The team faced marginal defeats in the other two matches.[break]
Dinesh Nakarmi, head coach of NeBA, who led the Nepali team to Japan, said that the tour was fruitful for the players as well as for their project. "The tour has given us a great boost as we are preparing for bigger events in the upcoming years."
"The players played in front of big crowds and against international players, which gave them good psychological boost. This experience will help them to play better in future," added Nakarmi.
"The players got a chance to play in the Olympic Dom against a good team of Japan which has boosted their confidence," Nakarmi said, adding that he is satisfied with the performance of the players.
The U-14 squad also got an opportunity to practice under the expertise of Japanese coach during their tour. They had practice sessions for two days.
Nakarmi said that the coaching style of the Japanese is different from that of Nepali coaches as they point out the mistakes and give suggestions on how to correct them. When asked about the weaknesses of Nepali players during the tour, Nakarmi said that they are physically unfit.
"Our players do not have a good build and we fail to control the ball many times. Our players lack fitness, which is the most essential pre-requisite," he added.
NeBA also requested the U-14 team of Japan to visit Nepal for friendly matches. Along with that, NeBA requested Japan Basketball Association (JBA) to send an expert to guide the national team. JBA donated technical equipment to NeBA. "They are happy with our proposal and have requested us to start paper works," said Nakarmi.
Saugat Baniya, captain of the U-14 national team, said that they got a chance to learn many things from their tour. "Japanese players were disciplined and their game was eye-catching. We have to learn from them."
Baniya praised the speed and the compact defense of the Japanese players and said that the Nepali squad should improve in those aspects.
Regarding the coaching of the Japanese, Baniya said that they learned a lot from Japanese experts.
The U-14 national team is currently participating in the National U-19 Basketball Championship that began on Saturday. Coach Nakarmi said that the U-14 players were included in the U-19 tournament in order to develop their skills. "We do not expect good results from them as they are physically and technically weaker than their opponents."
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