Latest news with #OsakaBluteon
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Bryan Bagunas returns to Japan, signs with powerhouse Osaka
Filipino volleyball ace Bryan Bagunas is making a Japan comeback after inking a deal to join the Osaka Bluteon for the 2025-2026 Japan SV. League. The Panthers announced Bagunas' arrival on Wednesday as the well-traveled outside spiker marked his return to the Japanese scene after three years. The signing will see Bagunas teaming up with top Japanese volleyball stars like opposite hitter Yuji Nishida, libero Tomohiya Yamamoto, middle blocker Akidai Yamauchi, and outside spiker Masama Tomita, all of whom are members of the world no. 5 Japan national team. "I'm truly honored to be part of Osaka Bluteon. I've always admire the club's strong culture and vision, and I'll do my best to support the team in every way to achieve our goals," Bagunas said in the team's post. Bagunas last played in Japan in 2022, when he reinforced Oita Miyoshi in the V. League. He then brought his act to Taiwan with Win Streak, which he helped capture back-to-back crowns in the Top Volleyball League. In January 2024, he returned to the Philippines to join another powerhouse club Cignal. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
The Mainichi
04-06-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Players see forming union as key to Japan volleyball league success
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Stars of Japanese volleyball's say the league must address its crowded match schedule and other issues affecting players following the conclusion of the rebranded competition's inaugural season. One of the league's biggest stars has been leading calls for the formation of a players' union to address such concerns and support the league's goal of becoming the global benchmark in professional volleyball. Osaka Bluteon's Yuji Nishida, a star of the Japanese men's national team, proposed the establishment of the union in an April 27 post on X, formerly Twitter. "To all players, let's form a players' union to make the league better and raise the level of our play," he said. "The union is absolutely necessary if the wants to be the top of world volleyball. We have so many questions. For instance, each team plays 44 matches, but we play some opponents four times and others six times. What are the reasons for this?" For the inaugural 2024-2025 regular season, the league increased the number of men's matches per team to 44, up from 36 in the predecessor while doubling the number of women's matches per team to 44 from 22. The league launched last year with 10 men's teams and 14 women's teams, aiming to become the world's most competitive and popular volleyball league by 2030. Chairman Masaaki Okawa said he envisions a league that players from around the globe aspire to join. Nishida also raised the issue of promoting teams from the second division. The Hokkaido Yellow Stars topped the eight-team second-division standings with a dominant 26-2 record but will not be promoted for next season. "Another question is why can't a team that has received a license move up (from the second division). Is it impossible to have an odd number of teams? One year isn't 'just one year' for players," Nishida said. Meanwhile, regular-season attendance totaled 1,034,667, up 204 percent from the 2023-2024 season, the said on April 16, two days before the playoffs began. Attendance for men's matches surged 75 percent to 664,709, while women's attendance jumped 195 percent to 369,958, buoyed by the expanded schedule. However, average attendance per women's match fell by 31 percent. Nishida's Bluteon teammate Thomas Jaeschke, who won two bronze medals while playing for the United States in the past three Olympics, has also pointed to multiple issues that the needs to address. "It's just too many matches, physically, for players," Jaeschke told Kyodo News after his team played two matches against the Tokyo Great Bears at the beginning of March. "It's not reasonable for players. It's really a big mistake. It needs to be adjusted." "Back-to-back matches. Everybody plays twice a weekend. The market is just kind of saturated. You can't watch every night. They're competing against each other. They're playing the same time." He added that when he played for European clubs, including in Italy and Turkey, teams with two weekly matches typically played once midweek and once on the weekend, whereas the current schedule in Japan is less conducive to match quality and player health. "I think guys (foreign players) will come here and see that. The money here is good. A lot of things are good, but I do think some changes need to be made," Jaeschke said. The 31-year-old outside hitter has decided not to return to Japan for his third season. The believes the current schedule is ideal for fans to attend matches. It also reduces costs, enabling match organizers to set up and clear a venue once per weekend, as many clubs do not have their own arenas, the league said in a recent reply to questions from Kyodo News. The league added that it is harder to assign umpires and supporting staff on weekdays, and the current weekend schedule also makes it easier for fans to travel for away matches. Asked about players who say their performance is better with one midweek and one weekend match per week, the league said, "There are also players who prefer playing on weekends while resting on weekdays. Those players say it's easier to get themselves in shape that way." "If we have more matches on weekdays, we might get more (media) exposure. That's a positive thing. We know there are various opinions. We'll continue to examine the best options for the league." (By Hiroki Noda)
Qatar Living
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Living
Al Rayyan are the new Asian volleyball champions
Malian international Noumory Keita delivered a match-high 21 points to lead Qatar's Al Rayyan to a historic title at the inaugural AVC Men's Champions League in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday. The Qatari side powered past hosts Japan's Osaka Bluteon to complete a straight-sets victory 25–19, 25–22, 25–17 at the Shimadzu Arena. Both teams also directly qualified for the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship. Keita was unstoppable throughout the match, scoring through 17 kills and four aces. Fellow star Abdel-Aziz Nimir added 15 points, including 12 kills, 2 blocks, and an ace. No Osaka Bluteon player reached double digits, with Shoma Tomita leading the team with nine points, followed by Larry Ik Evbade-Dan and Yuji Nishida with nine and six points each. Al Rayyan outperformed Osaka Bluteon in all facets of the game, registering 37 attack points to their opponent's 29. They also held the edge in blocks (9 to 7), service aces (5 to 0), and capitalized on more opponent errors (24 to 22). 'It's been a great experience playing here. I've grown alongside Nimir and the rest of the team. I'm still young and learning, and I've gained so much from this tournament,' said Keita, after the win. 'I'm happy to see the fans enjoying the game. Osaka Bluteon are a strong team with players I've learned from, and I hope to return to Japan one day and play again in front of these amazing fans,' he added. Coming off a thrilling 3–2 semifinal win (22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 17-15) over SV League champions Suntory Sunbirds, Al Rayyan proved their dominance once again, this time defeating a formidable Bluteon led by Japanese star Yuji Nishida. The victory added another significant chapter to Al Rayyan's decorated legacy, which includes 13 Qatar Cup titles, 16 Emir Cup trophies, consecutive West Asian Club Championships in 2023 and 2024, and silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 Asian Club Championships. --- Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content. Instagram - @qatarliving X - @qatarliving Facebook - Qatar Living YouTube - qatarlivingofficial
Qatar Tribune
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Al Rayyan win inaugural AVC Champions League
Tribune News Network Kyoto (Japan) Noumory Keita delivered a match-high 21 points to lead Al Rayyan Sports Club of Qatar to a historic title at the inaugural AVC Men's Champions League. The Qatari powerhouse powered past Japan's Osaka Bluteon in an exceptional straight-sets victory (25–19, 25–22, 25–17), in Sunday's electrifying final at Shimadzu Arena. Both finalists also secured coveted spots at the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship. Keita was unstoppable throughout the match, contributing 17 kills and 4 aces. Fellow star Abdel-Aziz Nimir added 15 points, including 12 kills, 2 blocks, and an ace. No Osaka Bluteon player reached double digits, with Shoma Tomita leading the team with 9 points (7 kills), followed by Larry Ik Evbade-Dan and Yuji Nishida with 9 and 6 points respectively. Al-Rayyan outperformed Osaka Bluteon in all facets of the game, registering 37 attack points to their opponent's 29. They also held the edge in blocks (9–7), service aces (5–0), and capitalized on more opponent errors (24–22). 'It's been a great experience playing here. I've grown alongside Nimir and the rest of the team. I'm still young and learning, and I've gained so much from this tournament,' said Keita in a post-match interview on court. 'I'm happy to see the fans enjoying the game. Osaka Bluteon are a strong team with players I've learned from, and I hope to return to Japan one day and play again in front of these amazing fans.' Coming off a thrilling 3–2 semifinal win over champions Suntory Sunbirds, Al-Rayyan proved their dominance once again, this time defeating a formidable Osaka Bluteon side led by Japanese star Yuji Nishida. The victory added another significant chapter to Al-Rayyan's decorated legacy, which includes 13 Qatar Cup titles, 16 Emir Cup trophies, consecutive West Asian Club Championships in 2023 and 2024, and silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 Asian Club Championships. In Sunday's final, Nimir, who had posted a staggering 40 points in the semifinal, opened strong with three consecutive points. But as his rhythm faded, Keita stepped up with a devastating display of mid-court and back-row attacks. Nishida struggled with consistency, while Miguel Angel Castro Lopez faced challenges breaking through Al Rayyan's towering block. The visitors took the first set with authority. Keita continued to dazzle in the second set, combining powerful jump serves with precise attacks. Although Osaka Bluteon briefly found their footing, narrowing the deficit to 21–23 through improved blocking and Lopez's resilience, Keita closed the door with a blistering crosscourt spike following Lopez's off-the-block point. The third set saw Al Rayyan race ahead to a 6–1 lead. Despite spirited efforts from Tomita and Kenta Otsuka, the home team couldn't break through the Qatari block. Al Rayyan maintained control with relentless pressure from Keita and Nimir, pulling away to a 19–17 lead before ending the match on a six-point scoring run. At the final whistle, the Al Rayyan players erupted in celebration, embracing and jubilantly marking their milestone achievement as the first-ever champions of the AVC Men's Champions League.
Qatar Tribune
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Al Rayyan crowned 2025 Asian volleyball champions
TOKYO: Al Rayyan was crowned Asian volleyball champions after a deserved 3-0 victory over Japan's Osaka Bluteon in the final match of the AVC Men's Champions Leagueheld in Tokyo. Al Rayyan dominated the match and achieved a major accomplishment to add to its impressive continental and international record. Al Rayyan officially qualified for the 2025 FIVB World Club Volleyball Championship to be held at the end of this year under the auspices of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). Al Rayyan secured their place in the final after a (22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 17-15) victory over Japan's Suntory in the semifinals.
