India vs Japan Quarter-final Live, AVC Men's Volleyball Continental Championship 2026: India lose first set 17-25
(Courtesy : Volleyball World)
India have reached the semi-finals once previous, in 2005
3:45 pm: Hello and welcome to Khel Now’s live blog for the India vs Japan quarter-final match in AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026. Please wait for the blog to load!
The Indian men’s volleyball team will face hosts Japan in the quarter-finals of the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026 in Kitakyushu, Japan on Friday.
A victory over the World No. 6 side would help India match their best-ever performance in the competition—a fourth-place finish in 2005.
The task at hand, though, is Herculean. Japan are not only the defending champions but have also clinched the title a record 10 times in twenty-two editions. To put it another way, Japan have finished on the podium in 18 of the 22 editions.
They are unarguably the biggest giants of the sport in the Asian continent and the firm favourites to add more silverware to their already glittering cabinet.
Indian men's volleyball team in action!! 🏐🇮🇳🔥
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 11, 2026
India face World No. 6 Japan for a place in the semi-finals of AVC Men's Volleyball Continental Championship pic.twitter.com/0l41BA09ix
Meanwhile, India have reached the semi-finals only once previously (2005) and are making their 10th appearance in the final eight round. They are yet to make the podium.
Coached by Serbian Dragan Mihailovic, India were impressive in parts in the defeats to China and Iran in their first two Pool B fixtures.
A win against New Zealand in their last pool match then kept India alive in the race for the knockouts. They eventually confirmed their place in the quarter-finals after Bahrain’s win over Oman, leaving both nations below India in the combined rankings.
India finished eighth to bag the last quarter-final spot and will now clash against Asia’s No. 1 side Japan, who clinched the first place.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The winner of this tournament will earn a quota for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028, while the top three nations will be allotted berths at next year’s FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup 2027.
Where and when will India vs Japan quarter-final match take place at AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
The quarter-final clash will be played at the Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan on September 11 (Friday). It is scheduled to begin at 4 pm IST (7:30 pm local time).
What is the overall head-to-head between India and Japan in men’s volleyball?
According to the Volleyball World website, India and Japan have clashed on four occasions in AVC competitions, with Japan winning three of those meetings.
How have India performed so far at AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
India gave China a tough time in their first Pool B encounter, eventually going down 21-25, 26-28, 25-27. They were then hammered 20-25, 26-28, 18-25 by Iran, who are the among the top teams in Asia too. Dragan Mihalovic’s side then bounced back to secure a comfortable win against New Zealand (25-22, 25-18, 25-21) to end up third in pool B.
How have Japan performed so far at AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
As expected, Japan have been near spotless in the AVC Men’s Continental Championship 2026. They dropped a set against Oman in their first fixture, eventually winning 25-18, 25-13, 20-25, 25-9. Direct sets victories against Bahrain (25-15, 25-15, 25-23) and Australia (25-20, 25-13, 25-21) then followed. As a result, they finished at the top of pool A.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram