TOKYO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) - If Japan's basketball fans are wondering how their men's team is shaping up for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, they'll soon have the opportunity to monitor the progress in person thanks to FIBA's Competition System 2017+.

Starting in November, fans will see the men's national team play regular home games in a bid to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China. 

There is plenty of cause for excitement about the new system in Japan.

"We think the biggest benefit for Japan is the regular exposure of our national team in our country," Japan Basketball Association (JBA) Director of Basketball Development Kenta Kawashima said of the World Cup Qualifiers. "Our fans had only been able to see their games three times per year and they were friendly games. We hope the fans will come to see and cheer our national team in official FIBA competition with qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 on the line."

Japan's supporters had to look on from afar when their team went on a strong run to the Semi-Finals of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China.

Adding to the buzz in Tokyo is that the new system of competition has Australia and New Zealand set to play in the region.

The Japanese believe that they and other teams will improve as they trade blows with Oceania's powerhouses.

"Currently, Australia is ranked No. 10 in the world," Kawashima said. "Not only in Japan but all Asia countries will be preparing to reach the same level. In that sense, we believe that competition level of Asia will become higher as a whole."

Japan knew after their hard games at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Serbia that the team needed to take a revised approach if it was to have any chance of challenging for spots on the podium of major basketball events.

"In 2016, we qualified for Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) and competed in a FIBA international tournament for the first time in 10 years," Kawashima said. "It was the first international stage for most of our players, and we recognized the importance of playing at international level."

One move has been to put Julio Lamas, one of Argentina's former coaches, in charge of Japan. Lamas was at the helm of Argentina in two different spells during his career and has gone up against the best teams in the world.

"With teams from Oceania joining the Asia region, it is very clear that the games will be more competitive," Kawashima said. "We know that Australia and New Zealand have size and strength and play a different style of basketball. We need to become stronger to compete with them."

Lamas will first lead the team at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 in Lebanon and then start preparing the players for the the World Cup qualifiers, with the first window of games in November.

"We have shown that we can compete with the top countries in Asia," Kawashima said. "We hope to continue to show our strong performance towards 2019 World Cup and 2020 Tokyo."

While the Boomers and Tall Blacks will now be formidable opponents, the change in competition has other important consequences.

The biggest impact is that the teams and players will have more opportunities to show their performance in their home countries.Kawashimi

"At the same time, spots for Asia in the 2019 World Cup will increase and there will be more chances for Asia teams to compete on the international stage," Kawashima said.

The World Cup qualifiers represent the latest big development for basketball in Japan. The country has also established a men's professional league called the B.League.

"Basketball is getting more attention than before and we must make full use of this new competition system to grow and develop basketball in Japan," Kawashima said.

"We feel that FIBA has made a historical decision and taken a big step to promote basketball in the world, that the changes that FIBA is taking in the men's competition system will make for a very positive impact for all member countries and attract more attention to the sport of basketball.

Excitement is building in Japan ahead of home World Cup qualifiers

"Compared to the past, it clearly shows the pathway to flagship events and brings more excitement. The biggest impact is that the teams and players will have more opportunities to show their performance in their home countries.

"Basketball fans will be able to see their players perform at official international competitions, and also top players from other parts of Asia."

FIBA