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The situation in Saudi Arabia has become unstable, with continued attacks by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi group.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on the 3rd that the Asia Cup, which was scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia from January to February 2027, will be postponed from December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028. The situation in Saudi Arabia is unstable, with continued attacks by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi group, and the AFC said, ``It is necessary to postpone the tournament for the sake of the participating teams, officials, and spectators.''
The Japanese national team is also scheduled to participate in the Asian Cup. Coach Hajime Moriyasu will step down after the tournament, and it was decided that Tsuyoshi Oiwa will take over the reins from March next year, concurrently serving as the team's representative for each generation aiming for the Los Angeles Olympics. According to the AFC, the U23 (under 23) Asian Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Japan and also serves as an Olympic qualifying round, will be held from January 4 to 22, 2028, and the dates currently overlap with the postponed Asian Cup.
At the Japan Association's technical committee meeting held at the end of October, there was no discussion on what to do if the Asian Cup was postponed.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, president of the Japan Football Association, said, ``We respect the AFC's decision.We will continue to work with all relevant parties to ensure that the Japanese national team can make the best possible preparations for the tournament.''

A welcome ceremony was held at Miyazaki Airport for Japan's national baseball team, Samurai Japan, which is holding its fall training camp in Miyazaki, and manager Motohito Iguchi expressed his enthusiasm, saying, ``The new Samurai Japan has made a start. We want to work hard, centering on our young players, and aim to become Asian champions.'' Adjustments will be made in preparation for the ``Asia Professional Baseball Championship 2026,'' which begins on the 12th at Tokyo Dome.

On the final day of the second round of the Figure Skating GP Series, Skate Canada, Mao Shimada took first place in both the SP and free skate, winning with a total of 235.44 points, the highest in the world. She is the fourth Japanese woman to win a GP in her first appearance. Saki Miyake achieved a personal best and placed 4th overall.

Waseda University won the 58th All-Japan University Ekiden for the sixth time in 16 years, making it their second title after Izumo. This is the first time in four years that the tournament record has been broken. 2nd place is Kokugakuin University, 3rd place is Soka University. Ryoki Niizuma of Waseda University, who set a new section record in the 3rd ward, was selected as MVP.

The 58th All-Japan Collegiate Ekiden Championship was held on the 1st over 8 sections of 106.8 km from Nagoya City to Ise City. Waseda University won for the sixth time in 16 years with a new tournament record of 5 hours, 3 minutes and 31 seconds, achieving their second title this season after the Izumo Ekiden.

We look back at the overwhelming depth of SoftBank's team, which won the Japan Series consecutively, and Coach Kokubo's precise management. Even if the main players were not doing well, the pinch hitters and substitute players achieved results, and the team became a solid V2 team that showed the rise of the next generation.

Naomi Osaka lost in straight sets to 18-year-old rising star Pohankova. He struggled against his opponent's spin and ended the season's final tour tournament with a loss. Osaka talked about her desire to continue to grow and learn, and is looking ahead to next season.