Japanese wheelchair basketball player Mari Amimoto leads in scoring at world championships

June 25, 2014

With five days of competition complete as of last night, Japanese wheelchair basketball player Mari Amimoto leads in scoring at the taking place in, Canada. She scored 122 total points, 7 more than the second highest leading scorer, Canadian Janet McLachlan.

The Amimoto, who plays club basketball in Australia, led her team in scoring with 18 in their opener against Canada, which they lost 83–53. In her team's 61–55 loss to, she again led her team in scoring with 22 points. In her third game in pool play, a 48–62 loss to, she again led her team in scoring with 25 points. In her team's only win in pool play, she scored 37 points against in a game they won 63–52. In the final game of pool play, she scored 20 points, leading her team in scoring in their 82–49 loss to.

Amimoto matched up against British player Helen Freeman, another leading scorer in the tournament, in her game against Great Britain. Freeman held back Amimoto's game after Japan took a very an early lead 4–2.

On her personal blog, Amimoto and said

Overall in the competition, 126 players have scored at least two total points. Canada is the only nation with more than one player amongst the top ten scorers. Their second leading scorer is Katie Harnock, with 75 points so far. Other players in the top ten include USA player with 105 points, Dutch Mariska Beijer with 101 points, Chinese player Yong Qing Fu with 99 points, Mexican player Floralia Estrada with 96 points, British player Helen Freeman with 89 points, German player  with 88 points, and French player Angelique Pichon with 76 points.

Round robin play concluded yesterday, with, , , the , , , and the  all having qualified to play in quarter-final matches scheduled for tomorrow. was scheduled to play for ninth place, and  was scheduled to play  for eleventh place.