In team sports, the excitement of men’s volleyball is remarkable, but the others are not far behind. In particular, men’s team sports, which have not been able to participate in the Olympics or advance to the top ranks for many years, have opened the heavy door and are working together towards the real thing.

Basketball, the Japanese Dream Team

The top of the list will be men’s basketball. At the World Cup co-hosted by three countries including Japan last summer, they beat Finland to become the first European team to win, and continued their winning streak, earning a place in the Olympics as the top-ranked Asian team. This is the first time in 48 years since the 1976 Montreal Games that they have qualified for the Olympics on their own.

Coach Tom Horvath led the women’s team to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. He is outspoken…