Japan Men's Volleyball Team: Otsuka Wants to Play, Faces Qatar
Listen to the story
Japanese volleyball player Tatsunari Otsuka has said he wants to return to the court for the national team.
Otsuka plays for Japan's men's volleyball team, which is coached by Philippe Blain.
Blain reportedly sees Otsuka as a future leader for the team.
This means the coach trusts Otsuka to guide his teammates in important matches.
The news comes as Japan competes in the men's volleyball event at the Asian Games.
The bracket for the knockout stage of the tournament has now been decided.
In this stage, teams play until only one winner remains.
Japan has been placed against Qatar in this round.
The match against Qatar will be an important test for the team.
Otsuka's comments suggest he is eager to help Japan through this stage of the tournament.
Separately, another report about the Asian Games mentioned socks from a Japanese convenience store chain called FamilyMart.
These socks reportedly helped members of Uzbekistan's volleyball team during the competition.
This small story shows how support can come in unexpected ways at big sporting events.
Fans are now watching closely to see how Otsuka performs and how Japan does against Qatar.
Vocabulary6 words
- court
- the playing area for volleyball
- coached
- trained and guided by a coach
- teammates
- people who play on the same team
- bracket
- the plan showing which teams play each other
- knockout stage
- part of a tournament where losing teams stop playing
- convenience store
- a small shop open long hours selling everyday items
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Play on the court again 2. A future leader 3. Qatar
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japanese volleyball player Tatsunari Otsuka has said he wants to return to the _____ for the national team.
Otsuka plays for Japan's men's volleyball team, which is _____ by Philippe Blain.
Blain reportedly sees Otsuka as a future _____ for the team.
This means the coach trusts Otsuka to guide his _____ in important matches.
The _____ for the knockout stage of the tournament has now been decided.
Japan has been placed against _____ in this round.
The match against Qatar will be an important _____ for the team.
Otsuka's comments suggest he is eager to help Japan through this stage of the _____.
These socks reportedly helped members of Uzbekistan's volleyball team during the _____.
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