The draw for the men’s volleyball competition for the Paris Olympics to be held this summer was held in Poland on the 27th (Japan time), and Japan, ranked second in the world, was placed in Pool C with Germany, ranked 11th, Argentina, ranked eighth, and the United States, ranked fifth.

In the ongoing Nations League, Japan has won all of its games, including a 3-1 set score against Argentina, a 3-2 set score against Germany, and a 3-0 set score against the United States in the final match of the qualifying round. Japan is aiming to win its first Olympic medal in 52 years since the 1972 Munich Games.

[Pool A]

France (host country), Slovenia (3), Canada (9), Serbia (10)
[Pool B]

Poland (1), Italy (4), Brazil (6), Egypt (29)
[Pool C]
Japan (2)United States (5), Argentina (8), Germany (11)

* ( ) is world ranking

In the preliminary round, each team will play three games, and the top two teams from each group and the top two from the third-placed teams will advance to the final tournament, for a total of eight teams. The men’s volleyball preliminary round for the Paris Olympics will start on July 27th, Japan time.

[Past Olympic results for Japanese men]

1964 Tokyo Bronze Medal
1968 Mexico Silver Medal
1972 Munich Gold Medal
1976 Montreal 4th place
1984 Los Angeles 7th place
1988 Seoul 10th place
1992 Barcelona 6th place
Atlanta 1996 – Did not play
Sydney 2000 – Did not play
Athens 2004 – Did not participate
2008 Beijing: 11th place
London 2012: Did not compete
Did not compete in Rio 2016
Tokyo 2021 7th place

[Athletes selected to compete in the Paris Olympics]

■ Setter
Akihiro Fukatsu (36, Tokyo Great Bears)
Seita Sekita (30, JTEKT STINGS)

■ Opposite
Nishida Yuji (24, Osaka Bulletion)
Kento Miyaura (25, JTEKT STINGS)

■ Outside hitter
Tatsunori Otsuka (23, Osaka Bulleteon) *Transferred to Milan next season
Yuki Ishikawa (28, Sil Susa Vim Perugia/Italy)
Yuto Kai (20, 3rd year student at Senshu University)
Ai Takahashi (22, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka)

■ Middle blocker
Futoshi Onodera (28, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka)
Akihiro Yamauchi (30, Osaka Bulletion)
Kentaro Takahashi (29, JTEKT STINGS)

■ Libero
Tomohiro Yamamoto (29, Osaka Bulletion)

■ Substitute players
Masama Tomita (27, Osaka Bulletion)