Basketball player Hachimura and women's wrestler Susaki named Japan's Tokyo 2020 flagbearers

TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Basketball player Rui Hachimura and women's wrestling world champion Yui Susaki have been named as the flagbearers for the Japanese delegation at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese Olympic Committee announced here on Monday.

Hachimura, 23, whose father is Beninese and mother is Japanese, has been playing with National Basketball Association (NBA) side Washington Wizards since 2019 while the 22-year-old Susaki, a twice world titlist in 2017 and 2018, is one of Japan's gold medal hopefuls at the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee and the host have called for two flagbearers, one male and one female, from each delegation to promote gender equality.

The Tokyo Olympics will open on the night of July 23.