#Japan #Tokyo #Frescobol #JFBA #FEFERJ

Japan Frescoball Association at Frescobol Brazil Championship 2025

The Japan Frescoball Association (JFBA) has announced that it will send a national team to the Frescobol Brazil Championship 2025, which is officially set to take place on December 6-7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As part of the collaboration with the Brazilian Federal Association of Frescobol (FEFERJ), a new ‘exchange program’ has also been established.

This championship, which is regarded as the pinnacle of the sport, will feature six pairs selected from the national tour held in Japan for the year 2025. Among these pairs, two are from the Masters division, highlighting athletes aged 50 and above, marking Japan's first overseas participation in this exciting sport.

Competing Pairs

• - Men's Category: Naoya Kishida & Yusuke Miyawaki (First place in Men’s Japan Open)
• - Women's Category: Maya Ochiai & Misako Yamatochi (First place in Women’s Japan Open)
• - Mixed Category: Naoya Kishida & Maya Ochiai (Second place in Mixed)
• - Mixed Category: Ryota Yamatochi & Misako Yamatochi (Third place in Mixed)
• - Women’s Masters: Natsuko Suzuki & Fuyuko Sendou (First place in Women’s Masters)
• - Mixed Masters: Toru Goto & Akiko Goto (First place in Mixed Masters)

Furthermore, in connection with the JBG® Suma Frescobol World Cup 2025 held in October, a fundamental agreement has been established towards the creation of the world’s first international organization, UAFI, in collaboration with FEFERJ, aiming to strengthen ties further. As a result, the newly created exchange program at this championship will include a total of twelve teams.

Additional Participants

The athletes Michki Sugimura and Kazuaki Inoue, selected as representatives for Japan for 2025 yet unable to compete as pairs in Brazil, will be part of this exchange program. Also, Kyousuke Igarashi, who has long supported Japanese-Brazilian exchanges, is slated to participate as an ambassador.

A Historic Anniversary

The upcoming competition marks a significant milestone, as it commemorates the 80th anniversary since the sport originated at Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, in 1945. Moreover, it coincides with the 130th anniversary of Japan-Brazil diplomatic relations, making this an exceptional year with the Japanese team set to showcase their skills on the other side of the globe. We encourage everyone in Japan to support our athletes!

What is Frescobol?

Frescobol is a beach sport originating from Rio de Janeiro. It was devised in 1945 on Copacabana Beach and has since gained popularity across beaches worldwide. A distinctive feature of frescobol is that it is not a competitive sport between adversaries; instead, it emphasizes cooperation between two players to maintain a rally while keeping a score. Matches last for five minutes, with competitors maintaining a distance of seven meters. This collaborative play style has led to frescobol being referred to as a ‘sport of empathy.’ The JFBA is working towards unifying international rules and has reached a basic agreement with FEFERJ to establish the world’s first international body, UAFI, in October 2025, aimed at bringing together the global frescobol community.