Professional basketball club Shonan United BC (B3 League, managed by Shonan United Fujisawa Co., Ltd.) announced that it will change its club name to 'WOLGA Shonan' effective from the 2026-27 season.
Building on the journey shared with boosters, partners, and local residents who have supported Shonan United BC, the club is set to move into a new stage. While the name and design will be new, the desire to walk with the Shonan region and serve as a connection between people remains unchanged.
The club colors will also be refreshed to a base of red, symbolizing the club's passion. The logo and slogan will also be updated in line with this new direction.
The rationale behind the new name, logo, club colors, mission, and slogan is available on the special 'WOLGA Shonan' website.
The goal was to create a name that can be naturally used in daily conversation—a name unique to this club. It is a name that is easy for everyone, from children to adults, to say, and one that immediately brings the club to mind. It is not just another name found elsewhere; it is the only one in the world, belonging solely to us. That is 'WOLGA Shonan'.
What is 'WOLGA'? The name 'WOLGA' is derived from the light of a campfire. When a fire is lit, people gather around it. Conversations are exchanged, and smiles are created. The fire brings people together, and from there, connections are born. We wanted the club to be a catalyst for people to connect, just like that flame.
Players fighting on the court, boosters cheering, partner companies supporting us, and local residents—the passion of everyone gathering together overlaps, and eventually, the light of hope and the circle of feelings expand. 'Glow' refers to a sustained heat-filled brilliance, like the light of a burning red flame or the warmth when cheeks are flushed. 'WOLGA' is an anagram of 'a glow' (read backward). The structure of reading it backward embodies the wish that people gather from the outside to the central flame, where words are exchanged and connections are formed. That is the kind of club we aspire to be.
Three meanings in the new 'W' logo The new club logo is designed with the initial 'W' as a motif, which holds three major meanings. First is the 'campfire,' where people gather and connections are born, representing attraction and the expanding circle of thoughts. Second is the 'trail of a challenger' who stands up again and again. The vertical lines of the 'W' overlap with the ups and downs of sports and life, as well as the indomitable will to rise up again. Third is the 'beat of life' that runs through everyone. The waveform, which looks like an electrocardiogram, carries the passion in the hearts of all who gather at the arena.
Club Colors Shonan should not be described only by the blue of the sea, but by the passion of those living in Shonan. The challenging players, the cheers of boosters, and the feelings of residents—WOLGA Shonan aims to represent the heat ignited in the hearts of everyone involved. That is the red of WOLGA Shonan.
WOLGA Mission Never let anyone be 'alone'. Everyone starts as an 'individual'. However, even if there are people who like being alone, there is surely no one who likes being 'lonely'. If you come here, you can share thoughts with someone. The club called WOLGA Shonan wants to be a circle that shines light into each individual's heart. Aiming to be a club that supports everyone in this city and leaves no one behind.
WOLGA Slogan 'Challenge to the End' (挑みきれ) People are moved by the earnest appearance of others. That is why sports move people's hearts. That one play. The attitude of not giving up until the end. It might be the push that someone needs. Looking down. Stopping your feet. There is no time for that. Keep running doggedly until the final buzzer sounds. The cheers from the venue. People of different ages, genders, and circumstances who coincidentally share the same time, layer their own lives onto our performance. Arm in arm. May the arena be wrapped in such a scene. Shonan is home to a club called WOLGA Shonan. May its presence inspire everyone's life. We want to challenge ourselves on the court today.
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: News