Japan Women's Team Narrowly Defeated by U.S. 1-2 in Quarterfinals of 2026 IBSA Goalball World Championships, Moving to Placement Matches

On Saturday, June 13, 2026, the quarterfinals of the "2026 IBSA Goalball World Championships" took place, and the Japanese women's national team played against the United States. Although Japan took the lead and ended the first half in a 1-1 tie, the U.S. pulled ahead in the second half, leading to a narrow 1-2 defeat for Japan.

Despite entering the tournament's final stage after topping the group round, Japan fell just short of advancing to the semifinals.

The team will now move on to the 5th-8th placement matches, competing against other global powerhouses until the end. The next match for the women's team will be held on Sunday, June 14, at 17:30.

Meanwhile, the men's national team will face the United States in their quarterfinal match tonight at 20:30.

Amuro throwing the ball in the quarterfinals.

Women's Quarterfinals Result

Japan 1-2 United States

Comments from Head Coach Tochigi

- How do you look back on today's match?

"I feel that we were able to execute good attacks, but the precision of each shot course was slightly off, allowing the opponent to defend successfully."

- What did you say to the players during halftime?

"I gave them encouraging words, urging them to stay aggressive and focus on attacking."

- What was on your mind when Japan was behind with less than a minute remaining?

"When we played against the U.S. in the previous tournament, we managed to secure a comeback victory in a similar situation, so I was waiting with that positive image in mind."

- What is your resolution for the upcoming placement matches?

"Although we could not secure a ticket for the Los Angeles Paralympics this time, we will continue to do our best to finish the tournament in the highest possible position."

Comments from Assistant Coach Tsuji

- What kind of advice did you give the players from the bench?

"Since the crowd noise was very loud, I focused on delivering precise feedback and conveying the opponent's movements as clearly as possible."

- How did you feel while on the bench?

"The players were performing under tension, so I tried my best not to heighten their nervousness and focused on enjoying the match as usual."

- What are your thoughts heading into the next match?

"At this stage, our goal is simply to rise as high as possible. We will reflect on today's performance, reset our mindset, and give everything we have tomorrow."

Tournament Overview

[Tournament Name] 2026 IBSA Goalball World Championships

[Tournament Period] June 6 (Sat) – 16 (Tue), 2026 (Matches held from June 10 (Wed) to 15 (Mon))

[Venue] Hangzhou, China

Match Results and Upcoming Japan Schedule (Japan Time)

June 10 (Wed) Women: Japan 10-0 Poland Men: Japan 11-1 Argentina

June 11 (Thu) Women: Japan 9-1 Ukraine Men: Japan 9-6 Finland

June 12 (Fri) Women: Japan 1-1 Canada Men: Japan 14-4 Poland

June 13 (Sat) Women's Quarterfinals: Japan 1-2 USA 20:30 Men's Quarterfinals: Japan vs USA

June 14 (Sun) 17:30 Women's 5th-8th Placement Match 19:00 Men's Semifinals

June 15 (Mon) 16:00 Women's 3rd Place Match 17:30 Men's 3rd Place Match 19:00 Women's Final 20:30 Men's Final