On the 25th, Himawari Ako, a native of Nanao City, was selected as a member of the women’s basketball team for the Paris Olympics. The next day, on the 26th, she participated in a donation ceremony for a newly built basketball court in Uchinada Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, and spoke of her enthusiasm for Paris.

Report:
“A new basketball court has been built in Uchinada Town, and the three Ako brothers, Himawari Ako, Raita, and Sakura, appeared at the event.”

On the 25th, Himawari Ako was selected as one of the 12 members of the Paris Olympic team. On the 26th, she participated in an event with her sister Sakura and twin brother Raita, both of whom are basketball players.

Ako Himawari:
“It looks great, looks great, and has a nice texture and feels nice to walk on.”
Raita:
“There aren’t many courts like this where you can play basketball in Japan, so I was happy to find one in my hometown of Ishikawa.”

This court was the first in a nationwide basketball court donation project and was chosen with the hope of helping with the recovery from the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

At the event, Akaho finally succeeded on his fifth attempt. When asked about his enthusiasm for Paris,

Sunflower players:
“I want to play with an emphasis on results, but also have fun playing basketball.”

We look forward to seeing him do well at the Paris Olympics.