After arriving in Tokyo on 28 July, Les Rouge et Bleu continued their pre-season preparations at the Zeekstar Training Center under the guidance of Stefan Madsen and his coaching staff. The team played two friendly matches at the Ariake Arena:
4 August against Zeekstar Tokyo: Paris Saint-Germain Handball won 41–31
5 August against the Japan U21 national team: Paris Saint-Germain Handball won 37-29
The match against Zeekstar Tokyo attracted 11,371 spectators, setting a new attendance record for a handball match in Japan. The previous record had also been set by Paris Saint-Germain Handball during its first tour of Japan in 2023, further demonstrating the growing enthusiasm for handball among Japanese audiences and the Club’s increasingly prominent position within the country’s sporting landscape.
Beyond its sporting objectives, the tour once again represented an important opportunity to strengthen the Parisian squad. In an environment conducive to hard work and high performance, the players combined training sessions with meetings with supporters and opportunities to discover Japanese culture.
Now firmly established as an essential part of Paris Saint-Germain Handball’s pre-season schedule, the Japan Tour reflects the Club’s ambition to continue its international development while actively contributing to the global growth and visibility of handball.
Les Rouge et Bleu will now continue their preparations at the HSG Premium Cup in Germany, before playing two final friendly matches in Denmark. The French champions will officially begin their season on 29 August, when they face Montpellier in the Trophée des Champions at the Arena du Pays d’Aix.
“This fourth tour of Japan confirms that it has become a major part of our summer preparations. We are delighted to see that enthusiasm for handball continues to grow in Japan, as demonstrated by the new attendance record set during our match against Zeekstar Tokyo. I would like to sincerely thank Zeekstar Tokyo, Future, the Japan Handball Association and all our partners for their trust and for the outstanding welcome we received.”
Eva Duprat
Press and Communications Coordinator
[email protected]
+33 6 37 32 08 08
Gabrielle Dupuy d’Angeac
Sports Communications – Multi-Sport
[email protected]
+33 6 47 48 72 24
