Kobe Stokes Pray for Victory at Minatogawa Shrine Ahead of 2024-25 Season in Kobe

On September 27, just before the start of the 2024-25 B2 League season, the Kobe Stokes, a B.LEAGUE team based in Kobe City, held a victory prayer at Minatogawa Shrine (Chuo-ku, Kobe City) to win the B2 League championship and be promoted to B1.

All players and key staff of the Stokes, including newly appointed captain Shota Watanabe, gathered at the Minatogawa Shrine to pray for victory in the first season under the new team management led by head coach Predrag Krnjic. The team vowed to work together as one to achieve victory and make this season a breakthrough season in front of the shrine’s deity, Masanari Kusunoki, a great general who possessed the three virtues of wisdom, humanity, and courage.

After the Shinto priests recited a prayer for victory and shrine maidens performed a kagura dance, Jun Shibuya and head coach Krnich prayed for a victory on the tamagushi (sacred skewer).

After the prayer, Captain Watanabe was asked about his enthusiasm for the start of the season in an interview. I want to share the joy and sense of togetherness with my teammates and fans when we win this year, because we had a lot of disappointments last season.

Kaiki Yamamoto, a new member of the team this year, commented, “This season will be a year of challenges for me as an individual and as a team. I want to embody the hard defense that Coach Krnich advocates and contribute to the team’s victory.

For more information

• | Kobe Stokes’ First Game in New Arena in B-League to be April 5, 2025 https://kisspress.jp/articles/51026/
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