ASICS Volleyball Talk Event : Yuki Ishikawa,Ran Takahashi,Yuji Nishida 6 Aug 2023

Regarding winning the bronze medal in the `Volleyball Nations League 2023' Ishikawa said,
"I think this tournament was very good, and I have been in the national team for about 10 years. However, it was my first medal at an international competition."
Regarding Japan's strength, "I think it was a very tough match, but I think that the fact that all the players who played were solid and active was the reason why we won this time, and we have won 10 straight games. Therefore, I think that the power of the whole team could be demonstrated there as well,” he revealed his thoughts.
Nishida said, "I'm very happy with this result, and I think I can still aim for 2nd and 1st place. I'm very happy that we were able to achieve good results as a team, and I'm working hard to get good results at the Asian Championships and the OQT (Olympic Qualifiers). I feel like I want to go there,” he commented.
Takahashi said, "We were able to achieve the team's goal of reaching the top 4 first, and in the end, winning the bronze medal gave us a lot of confidence in the team as a whole. I was able to prove that the Japanese national team can compete against the world." Looking back, "I think it will become tougher from now on, but we need to evolve again so that we can win even better medals from here. I don't think so," he said.
Regarding captain Ishikawa, Takahashi said, "He's a player I really rely on." He's a good senior."
Regarding his off-duty days, he said, “I don’t show it in volleyball, it feels like off-road. And the fact that I can play without hesitation in the game is also connected to that.
Nishida said, "Like Takahashi said, he's very off-and-on. In volleyball, he's the captain, and he's an absolute ace, so there's a lot of things I can rely on. There is, but it's a bit difficult as soon as it's off. I'll leave it to your imagination. I think that the atmosphere as a whole team is really good."
When asked about his next goal as a representative of Japan, Takahashi said, "Since the OQT is coming up, the first thing is to get a ticket to the Paris Olympics. I want to create teams one by one and bring them to a place where they can put out strong Japanese volleyball again in OQT.I want to get a solid ticket and prepare to compete in the Olympics. I think," commented.
Nishida said, “Because the Asian Championships are before OQT. However, I would like to make it my goal to definitely get a ticket and head to next year."
Ishikawa said, "As the national team, our biggest goal this season is to win a ticket in the Olympic qualifiers, so we're working hard as a team to reach that goal. It's going to be like that, but first of all, I want to win the Asian Championships, enter the Olympic qualifiers with a good flow, and win the ticket in the Olympic qualifiers."
After that, Takahashi, who was asked about the time off to heal, said, "I don't have that many days off. It's the most relaxing and good way to spend a day off watching something like that." rice field.
Mr. Nishida said, "I am relatively active, so I like cars, and I like shopping, so going shopping while driving is the most relaxing time for me." "I haven't decided yet. I'll go wherever I want to go. I change things around depending on my mood, but I'm the type to run by the sea alone," he said.
Ishikawa said, ``Like Takahashi, I'm the type to relax at home. I will.”
Takahashi was asked by a fan who said he was easily depressed what he did to lift his spirits, and said, "When I'm in a tough situation while playing volleyball, I'm a pretty positive person, so I can get stronger. Or rather, I'm looking forward to the fact that I'll be able to grow after overcoming it, because I really want to grow. I'm trying to overcome that kind of thing by switching my mind to do it and change it."
In response to the same question, Nishida said, "I'm the person who was most recently confronted with that question, so I've been worrying about it since last year, but there was a very long time when I wanted to run away from myself. What should I do in that situation? I've been thinking about it for a long time, but what I thought was the best thing for me was watching videos of people who are making an effort," he commented.
“When I thought I had to do something, it became more and more difficult to do so, so instead of doing that, I became a third person who looked at someone else’s efforts. At times, my heart was purified, and I became very positive. I'm really enjoying it, so I hope you'll give it a try."
Ishikawa said, "Basically, I think 'I'll manage somehow.' When I feel down or feel a little unwell, if I eat well, sleep, and move my body, my mood will naturally improve. I am working on revising."