Team Japan captain Yuki Ishikawa. Volleyball World
MANILA — Team Japan captain Yuki Ishikawa urged his teammates to shift their focus to the next game after a forgettable start at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.
Ishikawa and company absorbed a 19-25, 23-25, 19-25 defeat at the hands of lower ranked Turkiye on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
In an interview with reporters, Ishikawa said the jitters had hit them, and they need to change their mindset.
READ: FIVB Worlds: Turkiye shocks Japan; USA, Canada get wins
"Today in our first match, it was a very important match [that] we lost. We have to change our mind. Turkey was playing well, so it was a tough match for us. But, next match, we have to focus and improve," he said.
"We were a little bit nervous, I think. So we have to change mindset and we have to—we want to win next match," he said.
Ishikawa acknowledged the warm reception by their Filipino fans, and he was excited to play because of this.
"Yes, it's very happy to play in front of the Philippine fans. So yeah, I'm so excited to play here."
Japan battles Canada next in Pool G on September 15.