TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Japanese idol Yua Mikami (三上悠亞) debuted Tuesday (Dec. 23) as a member of the Formosa Sexy (福爾摩沙夢想家啦啦隊) cheerleading team during a special event. Team captain Chloe Tung (梓梓) welcomed Mikami with flowers at the introduction ceremony. Mikami, a former SKE48 member, noted the stark difference between cheerleading and her idol performances in terms of energy and style.
Mikami spent a week in intensive training to prepare for her debut, focusing on strength training to prevent fatigue or injury. She said Taiwanese player Ma Chien-Hao (馬建豪) impressed her with his height and skills during a previous encounter. Mikami praised her teammates' support, noting Tung met her at the airport and assisted her in dance rehearsals.
Mikami chose jersey number 25, explaining that in Japan it symbolizes happiness and laughter, which she hopes to bring to fans. Shin Wang (王信凱), the team's director of strategy development, said last year's cheerleading event received positive feedback, leading to discussions with Japanese partners that facilitated this collaboration. Wang said Mikami trained with Tung until 5 p.m. after arriving Monday, expressing hope for more events to draw attention to the Dreamers basketball team. ◼