Dispatching a large number of young players to Doha, Japan was thinking of increasing experience to the callow and aiming for the 2008 Beijing Olympic, Japanese Olympic Committee director Koji Kimura told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The Doha Asian Games will help Japanese teams know more about foreign competitors and be well-prepared for the Beijing Olympic, Kimura said, describing the game as an important comprehensive event bearing crucial significance for Japan.

Although being regarded as a traditional sports power in Asia, Japan's performance was not as strong as those of China and South Korea in recent Asian Games and its number of gold medals declined, Kimura said, adding that Japan is eager to reverse the situation.

Japanese teams' intensified preparation for the Doha games began from last spring, and the Japanese Olympic Committee has not only provided economic support, but also sent officials to give face-to-face encouragement to players.

The fact that China is a world super power on table tennis, badminton and gymnastics allows Japan to feel like participating in a world game, and the scores of Japan on these items in Doha may contain some implications to the Beijing Olympic, Kimura said.

Doha is giving a stage, a challenge and an experience to Japanese young players, said Kimura, who regarded the preparation for the future as more important than the mere pursuit of medals.