Tokyo Olympics: Aussie softballers make early dash to Japan for training camp

Australia’s softball team are hoping an early arrival to acclimatise to Tokyo’s hot, sticky conditions will do the trick as they search for an elusive Olympic gold medal.

The Aussie women’s softball team will head to Japan early in a bid to get some games against top-class competition under their gloves before they take on the world’s best at the Olympics.

Australia has competed at four previous Olympic softball tournaments - earning a spot on the podium each time - but the gold medal remains elusive, something this year’s squad hopes to change.

A squad of 23 will depart for Japan on May 31.

They will play a series of games against professional Japanese teams for about four weeks.

The 15 women playing in the Olympics team will be chosen based on their performance in these pre-games matches.

Queensland’s Tamieka Whitefield hopes to earn a spot on the Olympic softball team.

Queensland’s Tamieka Whitefield, 22, said it would be the first time the team will play any opposition since Covid.

“Everything was cancelled due to the pandemic, at our previous two camps we have only been able to play against each other,” Whitefield said.

“We would normally head overseas and play in the pro-league in the US, but we have had to make do with what we have in Australia.”

Fellow Queenslander Jade Wall said it was not the first time the Australian side has held a training camp in Japan prior to a big competition.

“We had a training camp in Japan in 2019 in the lead-up to the Olympic qualifiers in China and it was the best lead up we have had – everyone peaked right when they needed to,” she said.

Jade Wall is looking forward to the training camp.

The extra month in Japan will also help the women adjust to the host nation’s heat and humidity.

Wall said the team had spent a couple of weeks doing heat acclimation training after their usual gym session.

“It is hard yakka,” Wall said.

“We sit in the heat chamber for about an hour, after a gym session and do a bike session, it is very testing.”

Australia is one of six teams to qualify for the Olympics, with hosts Japan, United States, Italy, Mexico and Canada also competing.

“We have a strong history with the sport, with four medals from four Games, but not a gold one yet,” Wall said.

Chelsea Forkin adds to the strong Queensland flavour.

“Gold is the only thing we are striving for as a team, we all put it at the top of our goals list.”

Whitefield and Wall agreed that with just six teams in the competition every game would be tough.

“Softball starts two days prior to the Opening Ceremony, and we are playing in the first game of the Olympics at 10am against the host country – it really can’t get much bigger,” Wall said.