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Japan Forward
2 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Volleyball: Japan Men Clinch a Spot in the Nations League Finals
Reporting on the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League and the FIBA Women's Asia Cup final plus updates on international badminton and swimming competitions. Japan captain Yuki Ishikawa spikes the ball in the first set against the United States in a 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League match on July 20 at Chiba Port Arena. (©SANKEI) Japan closed out the preliminary phase of the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League in fourth place among 18 teams. And with its 25-21, 25-19, 25-23 victory over the United States on Sunday, July 20 at Chiba Port Arena, head coach Laurent Tillie's squad improved to 8-4 in the global competition. Determination and a high level of execution carried Japan past Team USA. Outsider hitter Ran Takahashi ignited Japan's attack and finished with a team-best 18 points. Kento Miyaura chipped in with 13 points, which included two aces. Captain Yuki Ishikawa had seven points. Takahashi and Taishi Onodera were the team leaders in blocks (two apiece). Japan's Ran Takahashi reacts after scoring a point in the second set against the United States. (©SANKEI) "We had a difficult week with the national team, but we did well and this was important for us," Takahashi was quoted as saying, according to the Volleyball World website. "Going to the finals is also important for us. We get to meet more good teams and grow further. It was amazing to play here in this perfect environment." Before its sweep of the United States, Japan played three additional volleyball matches in Week 3 of the tourney's preliminary round. It started with a four-game victory over Germany on July 16, followed by a thrilling five-set comeback triumph over Argentina the next day. Brazil swept Japan (25-21, 25-23, 28-26) on July 18. Up next: Japan focuses on getting ready for the eight-team finals in Ningbo, China. In the quarterfinals, Brazil faces China and Italy takes on Cuba on July 30. Japan meets Poland and France plays Slovenia on July 31. The final is set for August 3. In 2023, Japan earned the silver medal at the Volleyball Nations League. A year earlier, the team placed third. Japan Men Capture Silver in the Volleyball Nations League Japan center Ramu Tokashiki looks to score against Australia in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup final on July 20 in Shenzhen, China. ( © FIBA/via KYODO) Australia defeated Japan 88-79 in the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup final on Sunday, July 20 in Shenzhen, China, to win the title for the first time. Japan trailed 54-43 at halftime, but chipped away at the lead. Coach Corey Gaines' squad rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, using an 11-0 run to tie it at 70-70 on a Maki Takada jumper with 7:26 remaining. And with 3:54 to play, Takada sank a pair of free throws to pull Japan within 80-75. For Australia, an Alex Brooke Wilson 3-pointer extended the lead to 85-75 with 2:51 remaining. Rising Akatsuki Japan star Kokoro Tanaka had 19 of her game-high 21 points in the first quarter. The 19-year-old guard also finished with six rebounds and nine assists. Yuki Miyazawa contributed 18 points and nine boards. Team captain Takada poured in 14 points. Japan had 15 assists and 17 turnovers in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup final, and the latter statistic was a big factor in the game. Australia scored 26 points off its opponent's turnovers. Tournament MVP Alexandra Fowler paced the Aussies with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting. In Sunday's third-place match, China routed South Korea, winning 101-66. Japan guard Kokoro Tanaka runs the offense against China in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup semifinals on July 19. ( © FIBA) The FIBA Women's Asia Cup was an impressive showcase for Tanaka, who averaged 14.8 points and 5.5 assists in six games. "When I first started watching her (Tanaka), I noticed that she is fearless, emotionless and things that faze other people don't faze her," Gaines said, according to "She's always even-toned even when stuff goes bad, even when I yell at her. As she gets older, she's only gonna get better." The former NBA player and ex-WNBA head coach added, "I've been hard on her, but her future is gonna be great. I show her love — it's tough love because I see greatness in her." Tanaka, who also plays for the WJBL's Eneos Sunflowers, knocked down 15 of 31 3-pointers in the tournament. Riko Gunji competes against South Korea's Se Young An in the Japan Open women's singles semifinals on July 19 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. (KYODO) China's Yuqi Shi and South Korea's Se Young An triumphed in the men's and women's singles finals, respectively, at the Japan Open. The BWF World Tour tournament wrapped up on Sunday, July 20 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Shi earned a 21-17, 21-15 victory over France's Alex Lanier to secure the title. Japan's Koki Watanabe was eliminated in the semifinals on the previous day. An swept China's Zhiyi Wang 21-12, 21-10 in the women's final. On Saturday, Riko Gunji and fan favorite Akane Yamaguchi lost their semifinal matches in the Japanese capital. Also on Saturday, Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, who claimed the women's bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, dropped their final match in a tournament in Japan. Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan won 21-12, 21-11 in the doubles semifinals at the Japan Open. Shida and Matsuyama recently announced they would be ending their partnership after the 2025 Badminton World Championships, which will be held in late August in Paris. JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Badminton Stars Announce Plan to Part Ways Japan competes in the artistic swimming team free final at the World Aquatics Championships on July 20 in Singapore. (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO) At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Japan collected the silver medal in the artistic swimming free competition on Sunday, July 20. Representing Japan in the event were Kaho Aitaka, Moka Fujii, Moe Higa, Yuka Kawase, Uta Kobayashi, Tomoka Sato, Nao Shirahase and Sakurako Uchida. They amassed 334.7232 points in the final for a trio of components ― total difficulty, artistic impression and execution ― and finished behind China (348.4749). In Singapore, Japan's young eight-woman artistic swimming squad featured five athletes who didn't compete at the Paris Olympics. Sato, the team captain, said the team's effort was strong. "We swam well in the preliminaries yesterday, so we told each other, 'We can definitely do it today,' before going into the finals," Sato said on Sunday, NHK reported. The 23-year-old Sato added, "I think we were able to [accomplish] a performance we can be proud of, and I'm relieved that it led to a result. We got off to a good start, but there are still other events to go, so we want to keep this momentum going and persevere until the end." Takumi Mori, Takaki Hara, Yuta Watanabe and Konosuke Yanagimoto represented Japan in the men's 400-meter freestyle relay at the 2025 World University Games on Thursday, July 17 in Berlin. The Japanese quartet placed second in the eight-nation final, completing the race in 3 minutes, 14.19 seconds. Brazil secured the bronze in 3:15.02, and the United States won the gold (3:12.30). The World University Games (July 16-27) is being held in six German cities. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
United News of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Iran too strong for China in Men's Volleyball Nations League
Warsaw, July 18 (UNI) China suffered a straight-sets defeat against Iran in the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League preliminary phase in Gdansk, Poland, on Thursday. Morteza Sharifi led Iran with a game-high 15 points, while Amirhossein Esfandiar contributed 12. China's captain Jiang Chuan scored 11 points, with middle blocker Li Yongzhen just one point fewer. In the opening set, China proved to be a challenging opponent, as Jiang's spike gave them an 18-16 lead, but Roberto Piazza's team leveled at 19-19, thanks to Sharifi's ace. Ji Daoshuai's service error and Amin Esmaeilnezhad's effective attack put Iran ahead on 24-22, but China fought hard to the end and managed to tie at 24-24 with Ji and Wang Bin's efforts, before Iran capitalizing on Sharifi's attack and the opponents' error to seal the set 26-28. China started strongly in the second set, as Peng Shikun's impressive block gave Vital Heynen's team a 5-2 lead. Iran's Eisa Naseri responded with two effective blocks, bringing the score to 9-9. Both teams exchanged points until Piazza's team scored four consecutive points to lead 19-15 and held on to 25-21 with Naseri's another effective block. Led by Esfandiar and Sharifi, Iran dominated the third set en route to claim the victory. Also on Thursday, host Poland lost to Cuba in four sets 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 26-24. Outside hitter Marlon Yant Herrera scored 18 points for Cuba, while his counterpart Kewin Sasak contributed 11 for Poland. UNI XINHUA RKM
Japan Forward
6 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Soccer: Japan Men Capture 2nd Straight East Asian Title
Reporting on a bear on a golf course, Japan's soccer title in South Korea, the Volleyball Nations League and Itsuki Takemoto getting selected in the MLB Draft. The Japan men's national team jubilates after its title-clinching win in the 2025 East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship on July 15 in Yongin, South Korea. (©SANKEI) Japan men's soccer standout Ryo Germain scored his tournament-leading fifth goal in the eighth minute against South Korea on Tuesday night, July 15. It was a high-stakes contribution for Germain, who plies his craft for the Sanfrecce Hiroshima, in the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship final in Yongin, South Korea. Teammate Yuki Soma created the scoring opportunity with a well-placed cross. The Samurai Blue defeated the hosts 1-0, completing the four-nation final round with a perfect 3-0 record. Japan's Ryo Germain (right) celebrates with a teammate after scoring a goal against South Korea in the first half. (KYODO) Manager Hajime Moriyasu selected all of the team's players from the instead of also filling out the roster with players who compete for European soccer squads. "My players made a great effort," Moriyasu said, according to Kyodo News. "They showed the pride of the and the depth of our national team." In Japan's first match of the E-1 Football Championship final round, Germain scored four goals in the opening half of a 6-1 rout of Hong Kong on July 8. Moriyasu's men then triumphed 2-0 over China in their second match of the tourney's final round on July 12. Japan's Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce) was named the E-1 Football Championship's Best Goalkeeper. The next E-1 Football Championship is scheduled for 2028 in China. SPORTS SHORTS | Soccer: Japan Men Look to Maintain High-Scoring Output Japan's Yuki Ishikawa spikes the ball in an FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League match against Germany on July 16 at Chiba Port Arena. (©SANKEI) Playing its first of four home matches in Week 3 of the preliminary phase of the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League, Japan rallied past Germany on Wednesday, July 16. At Chiba Port Arena, Japan triumphed 21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-20. National team standouts Yuki Ishikawa, Ran Takahashi and Kento Miyaura spearheaded Japan's come-from-behind victory. The threesome combined for 61 points, with 19 attack points, aka kills, apiece. Ishikawa, who had a match-best 22 points, also contributed two blocks and an ace before a lively crowd of 7,000. After picking up the win over Germany to improve to 6-3 in the preliminary round, Japan's challenging Week 3 schedule was as follows: Argentina (July 17), top-ranked Brazil (July 18) and the United States (July 20). Miyaura described his team's overall performance against Germany as positive. But he wasn't completely pleased with his performance. "We knew this was going to be a difficult match, and we had to adjust some details during the match," Miyaura told reporters. "I'm satisfied with our victory, but I know I have some things to improve for the next matches, especially my serve." The 18-team Volleyball Nations League runs from June 11 to August 3. And the top eight teams in the preliminary round, which is being staged in several countries during the three weeks of play, will advance to the quarterfinals. Starting on July 30, the northeastern Chinese city of Ningbo is the site for the final week of the competition. Japan Men Capture Silver in the Volleyball Nations League Meiji Yasuda Ladies Golf Tournament officials patrol Sendai Classic Golf Club in Tomiya, Miyagi Prefecture, where a bear was spotted, on July 16. (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO) A bear was seen at Sendai Classic Golf Club in Tomiya, Miyagi Prefecture on Wednesday, July 16. Due to safety concerns, JLPGA Tour officials canceled the next day's first round of the Meiji Yasuda Ladies Golf Tournament. The tournament was shortened to three rounds (July 18-20), the JLPGA Tour announced on its website. And it will be contested without spectators. "We deeply apologize to the fans who have been looking forward to the event, and ask for your understanding in this matter," the JLPGA Tour said in its news release. Information on ticket refunds will be released as soon as possible, the JLPGA Tour also announced. Itsuki Takemoto (KYODO) The Athletics selected Wakayama native Itsuki Takemoto in the 19th round of the 2025 MLB Draft on Monday, July 14. A productive pitcher and designated hitter during the 2024 and '25 collegiate baseball seasons for the University of Hawaii, Takemoto was the 560th overall pick in the draft. As a sophomore, Takemoto made 15 pitching appearances (14 starts) in 2025. He had a 2-6 record with a 5.75 ERA with 22 walks and 57 strikeouts in a team-high 67⅓ innings. The Chiben Gakuen Wakayama Senior High School graduate also played 45 games as the designated hitter, including 37 starts. He hit .256 with 21 RBIs. In 2025, Takemoto earned All-Big West Conference accolades. Boosting his visibility in front of MLB scouts, the right-handed pitcher competed in the Cape Cod League in 2024. The summer league is a showcase circuit for college players who are highly regarded pro prospects. In nine appearances for the Orleans Firebirds, Takemoto had a 3-1 record with a 0.71 ERA, striking out 23 batters in 25⅓ innings. As a result of his dynamic effort on the mound, Takemoto received the Cape Cod League's 2024 BFC Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award. The Athletics moved from Oakland to West Sacramento following the 2024 season. They are scheduled to be based in the suburban city near the California capital through 2027 and then move to a new ballpark in Las Vegas. For now, they are simply known as the Athletics or the A's, without Oakland or West Sacramento as part of their official name. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
