Kitakyushu: Japan booked their place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after defeating Iran 3-0 in the final of the AVC Men’s Volleyball Asian Championship on Sunday, successfully defending their continental title on home soil.
The hosts produced a composed performance in Kitakyushu to beat Iran 25-21, 26-24, 25-23 and claim their 12th Asian Championship crown. The victory also secured Japan one of the qualification quotas for the 2028 Olympics, where they will join the United States as the first two teams to earn their places in the men’s volleyball tournament.
Japan’s latest continental triumph came against familiar opponents, with Iran appearing in the Asian Championship final for the third consecutive edition. The two sides had also met in the Nations League in June, when Japan prevailed in a five-set contest.
The straight-sets victory on Sunday strengthened Japan’s advantage in their long-standing rivalry, taking their head-to-head record to 29-18.
Takahashi Ran played a key role in Japan’s successful title defence, scoring 17 points in the final and finishing the tournament with a competition-best 22 service aces. He was subsequently named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Despite securing Olympic qualification, Takahashi insisted Japan’s ambitions extend beyond simply making it to Los Angeles.
“The only thing left for us to do now is to win a medal (at LA28),” he said.
“We’ve earned the right to do so. We have a lot of time to prepare at home to build a strong Japan team. This is not our goal, so we have to put together a team good enough to medal in LA,” he added.
Takahashi also acknowledged that Japan still had areas to address despite its emphatic victory over Iran.
“This was the final. There was a distinct atmosphere, and our opponents were going to compete to the end. So to come away with the win tonight I think means a lot. Looking back on the performance, we dropped a lot of easy points, so I think there are a lot of areas where we can improve,” he stated.
Coach Laurent Tillie, the former France coach who guided his country to Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, praised the players for completing a demanding campaign with the continental title and Olympic qualification.
“It’s truly fantastic”, said Tillie. “It’s a miracle.
“Last season was difficult for us, and this season also was challenging and felt very long. So I think it’s brilliant to be able to cap it off with a victory from the bottom of my heart.”
The qualification makes Japan the second Japanese team to secure a berth at LA28, following the country’s rhythmic gymnastics team’s feat in August.
Takahashi, setter Fukatsu Hideomi and middle blocker Onodera Taishi were named in the tournament’s Dream Team, alongside Iran’s Ali Hajipour, Poriya Khanzadeh and Seyed Eisa, and Republic of Korea libero Park Kyeong-min.
Japan’s Olympic participation remains subject to selection by its National Olympic Committee.
(IANS)
