Japan’s Volleyball Ace Couple Nishida and Koga Showcase Their Union at Paris Olympics

On August 5, in the men’s volleyball quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics against Italy, the Japanese team was eliminated after a deadly full-set match. Sarina Koga (28) and the rest of the Japanese women’s team, which had been eliminated the day before, were at the venue, but were unable to break the barrier of the powerful nation that had qualified in first place. This marked the end of the Olympics for the Japanese men’s and women’s volleyball teams.

There is no doubt that these matches proved that Japanese volleyball is at the world level. If I had to name an MVP of this tournament, it would be Nishida Yuji (24), an opposite player. While ace and captain Yuki Ishikawa (28) was suffering from poor form, Nishida exploded from the qualifying round.

In particular, in the only win against Argentina in this tournament, Nishida served 5 aces in the first set alone, scoring 21 points, the most of any player in the field. I believe that Koga’s wife, the captain of the women’s national team, was the reason behind this performance, even though all the players were suffering from poor conditions,” said a reporter who covered the event.

They announced their marriage on New Year’s Eve in 2010. Since then, as a big couple in the volleyball world, they have appeared together on various TV programs and expanded their activities outside of the sport.

The quality and quantity of the food provided in the athletes’ village at the Paris Olympics has been a problem. In addition, the men’s team’s first match against Germany started at 9:00 a.m., and the third match against the U.S. started at 9:00 p.m., so even the time was a mess, making adjustments extremely difficult. In such an environment, having a partner with whom he knew well must have been a big plus for Nishida.

In fact, the local press was talking about how the Nishida’s were “getting along” with each other in Paris.

At the preview of the athletes’ village for the media held on July 23, before the opening of the Olympics, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Nishida walking together. It was during the daytime and in the crowded athletes’ village, so they were not holding hands, but they were close enough to bump shoulders and arms from time to time, and they were both smiling.

I felt a little sorry for them, because as soon as they noticed the presence of the press who had come to observe the event, they immediately moved away. …… (laugh) It seems that their schedules did not match during the competition, but they seemed to support each other in the limited time they had.

Koga will retire from active duty after this Olympics, and Nishida said, “I will take a break from the national team for a few years out of the four years leading up to the next Olympics. Both have carried the flag of Japan for a long time and supported the Japanese volleyball world. We hope that they can now rest their bodies and minds to the fullest and enjoy a happy married life.