Japan defenseman Yoko Kondo has said that she is confident that her side will reach the quarter-finals of the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The Asian team lost their opening Group B game 1-0 to Sweden at the Shayba Arena in Sochi on Sunday.
"Sweden is high in the ranking and we gave everything to beat them, but unfortunately we didn't quite make it," the Japan Times quotes the 34-year-old as saying.
"We will do our best to get there. We failed in the first step, but it is still our aim."
In the other Group B match on Sunday, hosts Russia defeated Germany 4-1.
