Japan has announced its lineup of athletes that will compete in the 1998 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling in Stillwater, Okla., April 4-5. 
 In addition to Japan, the 1998 World Cup will feature the U.S., Russia, Iran, Cuba and Germany. This annual freestyle dual meet championships is second only to the World Championships and Olympics in importance. Japan last competed in the 1995 World Cup, placing 6th as a team. 
 Leading the Japanese team will be 1996 Olympians Sanshiro Abe at 58 kg/127.75 lbs. and Tatsuo Kawai at 85 kg/187.25 lbs. 
 Abe, who placed ninth in the 1996 Olympic Games, was a 1995 NCAA champion for Penn State University. Abe, who has represented Japan in two World Championships, trains with Cary Kolat of the U.S. in Pennsylvania. 
 Kawai, who did not place in the 1996 Olympics, has competed in two World Championships, his best finish was fifth in 1995 in Atlanta, Ga. 
 Other top wrestlers in the Japanese lineup include Yuji Ishijima at 58 kg/127.75 lbs., Ryusaburo Katsu at 69 kg/152 lbs., and Hiroyuki Obata at 130 kg/286 lbs. 
 Ishijima, who placed fifth in the 1991 Espoir World Championships, placed fifth in the 1997 East Asian Games. 
 Katsu, who has competed in three world championships, placed second in the 1997 East Asian Games. His top result is eighth in the 1994 World Championships. 
 Obata, the 1993 World Cup bronze medalist, is a two-time Asian Games medalist and has competed in three world championships. 
 Rounding out the Japan lineup is Takeshi Morita at 54 kg/119 lbs., Isami Tsuboi at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., Takayasu Tomoyose at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. and Hiroshi Kosuge at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. 
  1998 World Cup 
 Stillwater, Okla., April 4-5 
 Japan Lineup 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Takeshi Morita 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Yuji Ishijima 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Sanshiro Abe 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Isami Tsuboi 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - Ryusaburo Katsu 
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Takayasu Tomoyose 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Tatsuo Kawai 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Hiroshi Kosuge 
 130 kg/286 lbs. - Hiroyuki Obata 
 Team Leader: Hideaki Tomiyama 
 Coaching Staff: Masayoshi Sagawa 
 Referees: Koji Fukuda, Yoshimitsu Naito