JAPAN is poised for infamy at the international stage upon being knocked out of the group stage of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
The world No. 5 side before the competition suffered back-to-back sweep losses at the hands of Turkey and Canada to go 0-2 in Pool G without a single set won yet.
READ: Crowd favorite Japan crashes out of FIVB Worlds after loss to Canada
After two losses, they’re now down to No. 7 in the live FIVB men’s volleyball world rankings.
Fan-favorite star spiker Ran Takahashi, who had 11 points and four digs in the loss, struggled to point out the positives in a difficult campaign for the Japanese side so far.
“We didn't play... Nothing special, I think,” Takahashi said.
The only positive he saw was the unwavering support of the legions of Filipino fans in their first two games of the tournament.
“But as always, the Philippine fans gave me a lot of energy and support. We are so happy, but I want to show to them and win. But I will do my best for the next game,” he added.
Japan will formally bid farewell to the world stage on Wednesday with one last match against also-ran Libya.
There, it will only be about leaving the Philippines with pride.
"For sure, we have to ask for a win, and we have to play aggressively more. We just have to win. But I think it's our last game, and we have a nice experience for the future on the Japanese national team,” Takahashi said.
The silver lining in it all for Takahashi is how Japan’s formative experience in this year’s FIVB Worlds can only make them sharper for the next international season.
“This is still good experience for the future, for the national team. But we have to improve, we have to grow up and we have to ask more from us."
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