Naonobu Fujii
| Naonobu Fujii | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Naonobu Fujii | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Nakkun | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | January 5, 1992 Miyagi, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | March 10, 2023 (aged 31) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spike | 312 cm (123 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Block | 297 cm (117 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College / University | Juntendo University | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Volleyball information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Setter | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Club #21 National Team #3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Naonobu Fujii (Japanese: 藤井 直伸, Hepburn: Fujii Naonobu, January 5, 1992 – March 10, 2023) was a Japanese volleyball player,[1] who was also a member of the Japan men's national volleyball team and of Toray Arrows.
Personal life
Naonobu Fujii grew up in Miyagi, Japan where he attended Furukawa Industrial High School, a school known for its volleyball team. Gaining an interest in the sport, he went on to play for Juntendo University.[2] He enjoyed outdoor activities such as cycling in his free time.
His family home was swept away by the tsunami caused by the Tohoku earthquake. Due to the disaster, his father became unemployed, and Fujii nearly gave up his dream of playing volleyball but continued with his family's encouragement.[3]
In September 2021, Fujii announced that he had married Miya Sato, who was a setter of the Japan women's national volleyball team and Hitachi Rivale club.[4]
On February 27, 2022, Fujii announced that he has been diagnosed with Stage IV Stomach Cancer, which had metastasized to his brain.[5]
Fujii died from stomach cancer on March 10, 2023, at the age of 31. JVA sent out their condolences to his family and the Japanese volleyball community mourned his loss.[6]
Career
After college Fujii went on to join the Torray Arrows team as a setter. Starting in the 2016–17 season, he was selected for the Japan men's national volleyball team where he played as number 3. In 2021, he was one of the Japanese men's national team roster, which competed in 2020 Summer Olympics, and the team finished in 7th place after 29 years.[7][8]
Awards
Individual
- 2017 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship- Best Setter[9][10]
- 2023: V.League - Special award
Club teams
- 2016/2017 V.Premier League Men's – Best 6, with Torray Arrows
References
- ^ "Men's Grand Champions Cup Power Rankings". VolleyMob. 2017-09-11. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
- ^ "#21 藤井 直伸 | 東レアローズ男子バレーボール部 | TORAY". www.toray-arrows.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-06-23.
- ^ 静岡新聞社. "五輪代表入りの東レセッター藤井、被災地の希望つなぐ 宮城・石巻出身 実家が被災｜あなたの静岡新聞". www.at-s.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-08-20.
- ^ "4月1日のプロポーズ「嘘じゃないよね？」藤井直伸＆佐藤美弥《バレー代表セッター同士の仲良し夫婦》が幸せを感じる意外な瞬間". number.bunshun.jp (in Japanese). number.bunshun. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "バレー男子日本代表・藤井直伸、胃がんステージ4告白 目の不調で検査入院し判明「脳の方にも転移」". Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). スポーツニッポン新聞社. 2022-02-27. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
- ^ "【訃報】元男子日本代表 藤井直伸さん（31歳）逝去". 公益財団法人日本バレーボール協会 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- ^ "第32回オリンピック競技大会（2020/東京） バレーボール男子日本代表チーム・龍神NIPPON 出場内定選手コメント" (in Japanese). jva.or.jp. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "バレー男子 日本が29年ぶり決勝T進出 イラン降し3勝2敗" (in Japanese). mainichi.jp. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "JAPAN DEMOLISH KAZAKHSTAN 3-1 IN FINAL SHOWDOWN TO CAPTURE BACK-TO-BACK ASIAN TITLE – Asian Volleyball Confederation – AVC". asianvolleyball.net. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
- ^ "Japan Edges Kazakhstan to Claim Second Straight Asian Men's Title". VolleyMob. 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
External links
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