Ed Odeven

The Seibu Lions' strong start to the NPB season and teen gymnast Misa Nishiyama's recent success are among the sports topics highlighted in this week's column.

The Velca led the B.League in wins (47) and scoring during the regular season, while the Golden Kings have returned to the Finals for the fifth straight year.

Ryukyu led by 11 points at the end of the first quarter. Nagasaki chipped away at the lead but came up short in Game 1 of the B.League Finals.

Wakatakakage, a 31-year-old Fukushima native, claimed his second Emperor's Cup, winning his first grand sumo tournament title since March 2022.

The Velca outscored the Golden Kings 21-9 in the third quarter to build a commanding lead en route to a bounce-back victory in the B.League Finals.

Hyunjung Lee scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Velca past the perennial powerhouse Ryukyu Golden Kings. Lee was named B.League Finals MVP.

The former Tokyo Yakult Swallows star is tied for second among MLB players with 20 home runs. He's been a key catalyst for the much-improved Chicago White Sox.

The 2,400-meter Tokyo Yushun is the second leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, and it follows the Satsuki Sho, which was held in April at Nakayama Racecourse.

Reporting on Japan's final match before the World Cup, updated plans for the Chiba Lotte Marines' future stadium, Naomi Osaka's French Open exit and more.

"We won this championship not just this year, but through five years of hard work," Nagasaki Velca GM Takuma Ito said, reflecting on the team's B.League title.