BASKETBALL/Kenzo Maeda named head coach of Taiwan women's basketball team

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Japanese coach Kenzo Maeda has been named head coach of Taiwan's women's national basketball team as it prepares for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games later this year.

In a statement issued Friday, the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) said Maeda, currently head coach of B.League side Akita Northern Happinets, will succeed American Michael Olson.

Maeda is set to lead the team at the William Jones Cup this summer and the Asian Games in September.

"I am very happy and excited to have the opportunity to coach the Chinese Taipei women's national team," Maeda said in the statement.

"I will emphasize team defense, tactical flexibility and timely rotations, while focusing on the long-term development of young players as we work together to build a team culture," he said.

Maeda, 43, coached the Happinets in the 2019-20 and 2025-26 B.League seasons, and has also served multiple stints on the coaching staff of Japan's men's national team, the CTBA said.

The Happinets went 19-22 in the 2019-20 season and are currently last in the Eastern Conference with an 8-42 record, with 10 games remaining in the regular season.

The CTBA said Maeda stood out among candidates for his long-term approach to building team systems and culture.

He is currently learning Chinese, reviewing game footage of Taiwanese players, and is expected to meet the team in Taiwan in mid-April, the association said.

Taiwan finished seventh at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou (held in 2023) -- its first finish outside the top four in the last nine editions.