The 2011 Enjoy Jakarta Anniversary Basketball Tournament was held to commemorate the 484th anniversary of the establishment of the city of Jakarta. I lead the Meiji University team, which placed third in the 2010 intercollegiate championship, in representing Tokyo this year. Our opponents were the Jakarta selected team, the Jakarta Veradabon team, and the Bangkok and Seoul teams. The representatives from Seoul, Koryo University, have a long history of association with the Meiji University basketball team, and the deepening of international relations through sports could be felt from the friendly conversations between the coaches.

As for the results, among the numerous intense matches vying for points, the Tokyo team seemed to come up just barely short, and unfortunately ended up placing 5th out of the 5 teams. We held review meetings after each days matches, and received support from young fans waiting to meet the team.

Among the 10 days spent in Jakarta and the warm reception showed to us by city officials, our experiences in the tournament as well as in sightseeing impressed upon us the energy of a currently expanding city. We received a great deal of kind words in regard to the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in March. When we assured them that Tokyo was steadily recovering, city officials told us that they would be visiting Japan for the 2011 Junior Sports Asia Exchange Tournament in August, and that they hoped to see us again there. The tournament became an experience allowing us to feel the bonds held between the cities of Asia.