What court advantage? Turkiye gets one over Japan to open their 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship journey at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Türkiye stunned world No. 5 Japan in front of a pro-Japanese crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, taking a 25-19, 25-23, 25-19 sweep in their Pool G clash at the FIVB Men’s World Championship on Saturday, September 13.
Ramazan Efe Mandiraci powered Türkiye with 17 points on ten attacks, two blocks, and five aces, while opposite Adis Lagumdzija chipped in 15 points built on 11 attacks and three blocks with an ace.
Japan tried to respond behind Kento Miyaura, who finished with 13 points off 11 attacks, a block, and an ace, but the Asian champions failed to overcome costly errors and Türkiye’s balanced attack.
For the Japanese, the loss was a setback in their bid to build on their 2023 Asian Championship triumph.
The team, coached this year by Laurent Tillie, has been leaning on captain Yuki Ishikawa, Ran Takahashi, Miyaura, libero Tomohiro Yamamoto, and middle blocker Taishi Onodera, though the absence of star opposite Yuji Nishida has left a noticeable gap.
Türkiye, on the other hand, showed the poise of a rising European contender. Making their fifth World Championship appearance—and second in a row—they leaned on Mandiraci and the Lagumdzija brothers to deliver a statement win under newly hired Serbian coach Slobodan Kovac.
The victory reinforced Türkiye’s credentials after finishing 11th in 2022, while Japan will now look to regroup quickly in Pool G play.
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(With reports from Katrina Alba)
[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]