Japan's Sepak Takraw team wins first medal in front of general fans; men advance to final, women go to bronze

Chinatsu Izawa, captain of the Japanese women's Sepak Takraw team, said happily.

“There were people in the audience who were not my relatives!”

Normally, the tournaments are filled with family members and related parties, but on this day, ordinary fans also filled the seats. There was also a ``Nippon'' call.

Quad (four-person system), which was introduced at the 2018 Jakarta Games, is Japan's specialty. This is a competition where powerful serves are important, and since the ball is hit from behind the leg (three-person system), it is easier to receive. ``We can compete with strategy, and even Japan, which cannot match our basic strength, can compete,'' said Chiharu Yano, the women's coach.

The men's team defeated India in the semi-finals and advanced to the final for their first gold medal. The girls also won the final match of the first round to earn their first medal in this event, and lost in the semi-finals to receive the bronze medal.

The number of players in Japan is approximately 3,000. Most of the athletes switch from other sports when they enter university, and there are also athletes who are involved in other sports as well.

Many of the boys have soccer experience, while the girls are diverse, with Nagisa Makio, a high jumper, and Minami Onda, a cheerleader. All men and women other than students are said to have jobs, and practice is held in the evenings on weekdays. It can't be done every day.

However, Ryota Haruhara, a boy, says, ``It's not hard (to balance work and family).'' "Our livelihood doesn't depend on it. We do it because we love it."