Hope flickers for table soccer's growth in Japan, and across Asia

Hunched over felt-covered tables in an unremarkable community center near Tokyo's Arakawa River, a group of enthusiasts recently made some history by holding the Asian Cup of table soccer in Japan for the first time.Sending their small plastic players sliding across the tables in pursuit of the molded soccer ball with deft flicks of their fingers, competitors young and old vied for the glory of being Asia's best -- or at least most well traveled -- exponents of the game.Table soccer, or Subbuteo as it is branded when sold in stores, came to Japan only very recently thanks to Kenzo Koi, and …READ FULL ARTICLE