Japan’s men’s volleyball team may have failed to win a medal at the Paris Olympics, but they have left quite a mark with audiences.
During one match, cameras panned to a lone framed picture sitting on the Japanese bench. The pic was of someone wearing a number three jersey.
The person in the photo is Naonobu Fujii, a member of the Japanese team who passed away from stomach cancer in 2023 at the age of 31.
Naonobu’s widow had passed the picture and his jersey to his teammates before they left for France as one of her late husband’s biggest wishes was to compete at the Paris Olympics.
While receiving cancer treatment, Naonobu was adamant he would make the Games and insisted on attending team trainings.
Even after their defeat to the Italians at the quarterfinals, the Japanese were seen throwing their beloved head coach in the air and holding up Naonobu’s framed photo as they took a group picture.
Netizens who saw everything unfold commended them for remembering their teammate, with some calling it one of the most touching moments of the Olympics.
“In fulfilling Naonobu’s wish to be at the Olympics, it felt like he was there in spirit watching them play,” read a comment.
Naonubu joined the team in 2017 and was part of the team’s victory at the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship that year.
He was also a crucial in helping the Japanese reach the quarterfinals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.