Japan sealed its ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The "Samurai" won the Asian Championship after a 3:0 (25:21, 26:24, 25:23) victory over Iran in the final in Fukuoka.
Despite the clean sweep, the Iranians put up serious resistance, especially in the second and third sets. However, Japan was more precise in the decisive moments. Match point came after an ace by Yuji Nishida, and the last point was scored by captain Yuki Ishikawa.
Nishida was the top scorer for the new Asian champion with 18 points, and Ran Takahashi added 17. For Iran, Ali Hajipour finished with 17 points, and Porya Khanzadeh with 13.
| Indicator | Japan | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 40 | 35 |
| Block | 5 | 10 |
| Aces | 7 | 3 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 23 | 19 |
| Total points | 75 | 67 |
Interestingly, Iran had twice as many block points – 10 against 5, but Japan compensated with a better attack – 40:35, and a significantly stronger serve – 7:3 aces. The hosts also received four more points from opponent's errors.
Why is this important for Bulgaria?Japan's Olympic quota is good news for the Bulgarian national team in the long-term battle for Los Angeles 2028. Japan is #6 in the world ranking, while Bulgaria is currently #9. Since the "Samurai" already have an Olympic quota, they are out of the potential battle for the last spots, which will be distributed through the world ranking. The USA, who are also ahead of Bulgaria but have guaranteed participation as hosts of the Olympic Games, are also excluded from this calculation. Thus, two teams ahead of our national team – USA and Japan – will no longer be competitors for Bulgaria if it comes down to the decisive battle by ranking. And that's not all. Four other European teams are ahead of Bulgaria in the world ranking – Poland, Italy, France, and Slovenia. One European team will receive a direct Olympic quota from EuroVolley 2026. If this is one of these four teams, Bulgaria will have one less competitor in the future battle by ranking. Of course, our national team can solve the task much earlier – by winning EuroVolley 2026 or through their placement at the World Championship in Poland in 2027. But if it comes to the last path to Los Angeles – the world ranking, every direct quota of a team that is ahead of or around Bulgaria matters. Japan is already out of this calculation.
photos: volleyballworld.com
