The 2025 Men's Volleyball World Championship kicked off on September 12th.
The Japanese men's national team is aiming for a place on the podium, but this year they will be missing some of the familiar members who have been a part of the team in recent years. In this article, we will introduce these players and briefly explain the reasons for their absence from the World Volleyball Championships.
Nishida Yuji
Nishida, who has supported the Japanese national team as a permanent opposite since his debut after graduating from high school in 2018, had previously stated that he would not be participating in national team activities this year. Although he was registered on the 25-man wide roster for the World Volleyball Championship, this was merely as an insurance policy in case Miyaura or other opposites were absent due to injury or other reasons.
Kentaro Takahashi
Like Nishida, middle blocker Kentaro Takahashi, who made his national team debut as a member of the "NEXT4" in 2015, has also stated that he will decline to participate in national team activities this year. However, perhaps due to the Volleyball Association's merchandise sales and other issues, he is registered as a member of the Japanese national team for 2025.
Akira Yamauchi
Like Kentaro, Akihiro Yamauchi has been a regular starter for the Japanese national team since his debut in "NEXT4." He took to the court in the Chiba tournament in the third week of this year's Nations League, but then missed the final round due to back and knee problems. Perhaps he wasn't able to recover in time, as he wasn't even called up to the training camp leading up to the World Volleyball Championships.
Seita Sekita
Sekida was the starting setter for the Japanese national team at two consecutive Olympic Games, in Tokyo and Paris. He underwent surgery after the SV League season ended and was initially reported to be preparing for the World Volleyball Championships. However, it appears he subsequently decided not to participate, as his name was not on the 25-man wide roster and he was not to participate in the World Volleyball Championships.
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Photo: Volleyball World
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