With Japan on the verge of elimination in the women’s volleyball tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the team’s 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-12) win over Kenya, on Saturday, was very likely the last match in the storied career of team captain Sarina Koga.
The 28-year-old star announced in June that the Paris Games would be the last tournament of her career and she said goodbye in a remarkable way, leading the Asians in the match with 16 points. After the match, she was applauded by more than 10,000 fans at the South Paris Arena 1 while, very emotional, she was comforted by her teammates.
“Feeling the support of our Japanese fans here in Paris was amazing,” she said after her final match. “We heard the cheering from the stands in every match and that really encouraged us on the court and gave us more power. I was happy that today, after two losses, we were able to pull ourselves together and fight. Today, I didn't think about being the captain, I just fought as Sarina Koga, who loves volleyball.”
