Japan wins Asia volley crown

JAPAN NEUTRALIZED Iran's power game and got a huge lift from its fringe players in scoring a come-from-behind 19-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22 victory in the Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball crown at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Japanese, losing finalists two years ago in Jakarta, silenced the predominantly Iranian crowd with their resolute floor defense and attacking depth to pull off a seven-game sweep of the 18-nation tournament held for the first time in the country.

Tatsuya Fukuzawa and Kunihiro Shimizu took turns in delivering the telling blows while seldom-used Yuta Yoneyama and Takaaki Tomimatsu came up with crucial hits as Japan repeated its title feat in 1975, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995 and 2005.

Earlier, South Korea bucked a sluggish third set to dump China, 25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, and secure third place.

Kang Dong-jin, stepping up for the struggling star spiker Kim Yo-han, fired 19 hits to pace the Koreans, who were stung by a five-set defeat to finalist Iran in the semifinals Monday.

The Philippines wound up 15th in the 18-team field with its only win providing little satisfaction as its foe, Sri Lanka, flew home Monday and lost by forfeit.

Before the walkover win, the Filipinos, playing in their first international campaign in two years, took six losses, three coming at the hands of Southeast Asian rivals Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

The Filipinos, who won just three sets in their six losses, also bowed to Kazakhstan and Chinese-Taipei.

Kazakhstan finished fifth with a 25-18, 22-25, 25-10, 25-17 win over reigning Southeast Asian Games champion Indonesia, while 2007 champion Australia salvaged seventh after a 25-15, 25-21, 25-14 thumping of Chinese-Taipei.

India crushed Myanmar, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16 for ninth, while Lebanon overpowered Vietnam, 25-23, 26-24, 25-22, for 11th place and Thailand took 13th spot with 25-17, 26-24, 25-21 walloping of Qatar.
Cedelf P. Tupas
Japan wins Asia volley crown - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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