Tokyo, July 20, 2006: One word can sum up the optimism around Japan's men's team these days -- and it's quite an unusual one: "Gottsu"!
That's the nickname of national team newcomer Yusuke Ishijima and one which he bears on the back of his No. 16 shirt. It means "rough" or "tough" and was given to him by his teammates at junior high school, and has stuck ever since.
In conservative Japan, it's rare for athletes to be known by anything other than their family name. There are exceptions, though, such as Sydney Olympic women's marathon champion Naoko Takahashi (Q-chan), judo queen Ryoko Tani (Yawara-chan), Major League Baseball star Ichiro Suzuki (known by his first name Ichiro) and soccer icon Kazuyoshi Miura (Kazu).
So Ishijima (sorry, Gottsu) is in distinguished sporting company, and his spectacular arrival on the scene has rejuvenated the national team at the start of World Championships year.
When asked for his impression of the Japanese team after a World League match last weekend, Serbia and Montenegro head coach Ljubomir Travica admitted: "I was surprised with the great player No. 16, Gottsu," before correcting himself and saying his family name, Ishijima.
"He was very brave and very strong and attacked a lot. He also had a great serve."
Serbia and Montenegro captain Goran Vujevic agreed. "It was a very good surprise.
"To prepare for these matches we watched some videos of Japan in the World Grand Champions Cup last year and this player was not there.
"So it was a nice surprise for me, because usually Japan is a good team with players of a similar quality. But this year they have two players, 17 (Yu Koshikawa) and 16, who are a little above the others, and if they can play well they can win against a team like us."
Southpaw spiker Takahiro Yamamoto missed the Serbia and Montenegro matches due to a slight back problem, but Vujevic is well aware of his quality, too.
"I know Yamamoto, and when he joins the team Japan will have three great spikers. That has not happened in my history as a player," said the 33-year-old Vujevic.
At 22 years old, the 1.97-metre, 102-kg Gottsu has a long international career ahead of him -- and he appreciates he has a lot to learn.
"Of course I need to improve all my play, especially my blocking against a world-class spiker, and other things such as my serve and defence," he said, after the opening weekend of the World League.
As well as possessing awesome natural power and a soaring leap from a standing position, Gottsu also has passion and motivation in abundance.
After serving a bullet ace in the second match against Serbia and Montenegro last Sunday, his next attempt flew long, at which point he slammed the floor in frustration -- and that's a long way down.
No wonder the Japanese volleyball fans have taken him to heart so quickly, and the star-hungry sports media has another "name" to project.
