Japanese Sports Briefs

Dec 31, 2008 - 3:07 PM (Courtesy of Kyodo News Service) TOKYO, Dec. 31 Kyodo

---------- Boxing: Sakata surrenders WBA flyweight title in 2nd-round defeat

HIROSHIMA - Japan's Takefumi Sakata failed to successfully defend his WBA flyweight title for the fifth time after he was sent to a stunning second-round defeat by Thai challenger Denkaosan Kaowichit on Wednesday. Sakata was sent sprawling to the canvas with a crushing right to the head from his top-ranked opponent 2 minutes, 55 seconds into the second in the New Year's Eve bout at Hiroshima Sunplaza.

---------- Soccer: Uchida to stay with champions Kashima until 2013

KASHIMA, Japan - Japan defender Atsuto Uchida is set to commit his future to Kashima Antlers and sign a new deal that will keep him with the J-League champions until the summer of 2013, it was learned Wednesday. According to sources close to the move, Kashima wanted Uchida to stay for another five years but the highly-rated right wingback's representatives only wanted to commit to a four-and-a-half year deal, apparently as that would allow Uchida to join a European club from the start of the 2013 season should he choose to pursue his goal of playing overseas.

---------- Nissan eyeing cut in Yokohama Marinos stake for cost reduction

TOKYO - Faced with growing cost-cutting pressure in the wake of the global financial crisis, Nissan Motor Co. plans to lower its stake in J-League club Yokohama F Marinos, Nissan officials said Wednesday. The automaker, which currently holds an equity stake of around 93 percent in Yokohama Marinos Ltd., the management company of the soccer club, is considering reducing its interest by selling its shareholdings or having Yokohama Marinos allocate new shares to other companies, they said.