Japanese female volleyball captain breaks down in tears: "I even sent SOS to my seniors"... Japan's women, despite crushing Iran, are left in a sea of tears over the "medal without a smile"

*This content was translated by AI.

Despite securing victory, she finally let out the tears she had held back. On the face of Mayu Ishikawa (26), captain of the Japanese women's Bae Gu (CEO) team who won the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship bronze medal, was a deep sense of regret. The captain's tears did not stop as they missed the most desperately sought ticket to the LA Olympics.

On the 31st, the Japanese sports media outlet 'Number Web' reported that "Ishikawa, whose expression had been gloomy throughout the tournament, shed tears of regret on the court immediately after winning the bronze medal," adding that "behind this was the captain's deep anguish over her performance and a desperate plea for help to those around her."

According to the media, Ishikawa fell into a severe slump from the preliminary rounds due to coordination issues with setter Nanami Seki. Tormented by the gap between ideals and reality, she eventually reached out first to representative team seniors and juniors such as Saria Koga and Yoko Takeshita for advice. She then made a clear demand to Seki: "If you just keep my scoring opportunities alive, I will make them count," struggling to overcome the immense pressure of being captain.

Japan, which seemed to be rallying its internal unity and making a comeback, was stopped in its tracks during the semi-finals. Against Thailand, which had been on a four-game winning streak and dominating, Ishikawa fought hard both offensively and defensively, but they collapsed with a set score of 1-3. It was the moment the ticket to the LA Olympics, awarded to the champion, flew away.

The shock was so great that Japanese outlet 'Sponichi' reported that "the players shed tears after losing to Thailand." Ishikawa also blamed herself, saying, "I am most frustrated that I could not reach my goal despite receiving help from many people."

After composing herself, Japan secured a decisive 3-0 victory (25-21, 25-16, 26-24) against Iran in the third-place match held on the 30th at the Tianjin Olympic Center Gymnasium. Yuki Wada scored the team-high 19 points, while Haruyo Shimamura (14 points), Ishikawa (11 points), and Yoshino Sato (10 points) performed evenly. With this win, they secured the right to compete in the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, which is awarded to teams finishing up to third place, preserving at least a minimum of dignity.

Although they missed the ticket they desired, the tears of regret shed by the captain led to a new resolve. Ishikawa stated, "When I stepped onto the court for the bronze medal match, I thought today was day one to secure an Olympic ticket," and firmly vowed, "Because of this defeat, I believe we were able to become stronger, so I will never let this experience go to waste."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.