INTERVIEW: Japan's New Volleyball League to Open with Big Dreams

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)--A new Japanese professional volleyball league, which begins its inaugural season on Friday, will take on challenges with big dreams and aspirations, its chairman, Masaaki Okawa, said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

The SV.League replaces the V.League as Japan's top volleyball league, following a reform initiative that Okawa has been involved in since autumn 2022.

Okawa is a leading figure in the country's sports business world, having been involved in the introduction of the club licensing system in the Japan Professional Football League, or J.League, and the establishment of the Japan Professional Basketball League, or B.League.

"I think (the new volleyball league) has potential," he said. "It's great that (fans) are supporting players, but there is not yet a culture of supporting teams."

Okawa said that he has worked to change this by revising various league governance rules to make the club licensing system work and to raise expectations for the SV.League.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]