Japan opened its defense of the IFAF Asia-Oceania flag football crown with a perfect start by beating China and Indonesia in Group A.
The region’s top-ranked team, sitting at number three in the IFAF world rankings, avenged a loss to host China at The World Games in August with a 33-18 victory on the first of three days of competition at the Fenghua Sports Center in Ningbo.
“I think we played well,” said Japan wide receiver Yurika Omi. “At the last tournament we lost to China, so we really practiced to be able to beat them. We won today and our goal is to be the champions in this tournament.”
Ranked joint 31st in the world, the Philippines sits on top of Group B having beaten Malaysia (23rd), Korea (22nd) and newcomers Jordan to post a 3-0 record at the end of Friday’s play.
Once the group stages conclude on Saturday, the top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals later in the day.
Group C featuring the three Oceania nations is a close affair with all three teams having won once and lost once in their round robin series. The teams meet again on Saturday to determine the group winner and qualifier for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Germany.
Group A
China bounced back from that opening loss to Japan with by scoring 41 unanswered points in a convincing win over Hong Kong, China, then beat Indonesia 40-20 to claim second place in the group. China now has an eye on the semifinals with Thailand (1-1) and Indonesia (1-2) still in the running.
“We've been doing pretty well on the defense, but for offence, there's a lot to work on because our opponent is reacting really fast to what our play is,” said wide receiver Tan Minhua of Hong Kong, China who are looking for a first win. “This is our first time in history on this stage, so I hope that that us being here can encourage more girls in Hong Kong to play the sport - and not just this sport, all the sports. I hope that girls can pursue their dreams and try to do what they want to do.”
Results Japan 33 China 18 Indonesia 33 Thailand 24 Japan 56 Indonesia 35 China 41 Hong Kong, China 0 Thailand 14 Hong Kong, China 6 China 40 Indonesia 20
Standings Japan 2-0 China 2-1 Thailand 1-1 Indonesia 1-2 Hong Kong, China 0-2
Group B
While the Philippines has raced to an unbeaten 3-0 start, there is all to play for in terms of a second-place group finish to claim a semifinals berth. Fourth placed finisher two years ago as the host nation, Malaysia stands at 1-1, as does Korea.
Playing in IFAF competition for the first time on the international stage, Jordan (1-2) recovered from a loss to Korea by beating India 26-12.
“It feels amazing,” said center Wajd Hattar. “Jordan is making history. This is our first ever participating on such a platform. And it's only up from here.
“The key to our success is not being down when something bad happens and something bad always happens. We were able to keep ourselves together and to pull ourselves up.”
Results Philippines 19 Malaysia 12 Korea 25 Jordan 12 Jordan 26 India 12 Philippines 35 Korea 6 Jordan 28 Philippines 0 Malaysia 34 India 12
Standings Philippines 3-0 Malaysia 1-1 Korea 1-1 Jordan 1-2 India 0-2
The three Oceania teams competing in Group C include American Samoa, making its debut in IFAF competition. The newcomers opened with a 38-12 loss to 2023 runners up Australia but bounced back to beat bronze medalists from two years ago New Zealand 21-12.
“We have a team that is not afraid to play,” said American Samoa quarterback Noella Keresoma. “We’re having fun. I love the competition and the mentality of our athletes, and we just keep playing.
“It means so much to have so many teams, particularly women’s, representing their countries, so many different nationalities. Culture is very important to us and all Polynesians are very proud of where they come from, and I don’t know if I even have the right words for it; it’s amazing! It’s a once in a lifetime. I just want to make it a platform along with the other ladies with me. We just want to bring exposure to the sport, to the world of flag football.”
New Zealand ensured the second day of group action will be a nerve-wracking one by edging Australia 13-12 with the three nations now separated by points differential.
“It’s zero-zero until tomorrow,” said American Samoa’s quarterback Keresoma.
Group C Australia 38 American Samoa 12 American Samoa 21 New Zealand 12 New Zealand 13 Australia 12
Standings Australia 1-1 New Zealand 1-1 American Samoa 1-1
Photo: Ernesto Campuzano
