96 points, No. 1 in serving, MVP… Ran Takahashi reveals diet that cut body fat from 12.5% to the 8% range
Japan won the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, and Ran Takahashi, who scored 14 points against Korea, was named tournament MVP. In a first-person column the next day, he shared his experience managing his body fat percentage.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
The second set of the final, played on Sept. 13 at Kitakyushu Municipal General Gymnasium, ended 26-24 after deuce. The third set was also 25-23, a 2-point margin to the very end. Japan beat Iran 3-0 to take the Asian title, and Ran Takahashi received the tournament MVP award. A day later, Takahashi revealed his body fat percentage figures in a column.
Ran Takahashi scores 14 points against Korea, 3-0 in the final… tournament MVP
Volleyball World reported that Japan beat Korea 25-13, 25-11, 25-14 in the semifinal on Sept. 12. Takahashi scored 10 points on attacks, 2 on blocks and 2 on serves, for a total of 14 points. Adding up all the points Korea scored across the three sets gives 38.
The final result and the MVP selection are confirmed by THE DIGEST reporting. Takahashi scored 17 points in the final against Iran, second on his team, and was also named Best Outside Hitter. With this title, Japan qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Sports Hochi reported that on the day of the final, Takahashi said, "I played the best match of my life."
Individual total points ranking at the tournament (as of the tournament's end on 2026.09.13, official Volleyball World tally)
| Rank | Player | Country | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heo Su-bong | Korea | 113 |
| 2 | Lorenzo Pope | Australia | 104 |
| 3 | Poria Khanzadeh | Iran | 103 |
| 4 | Ran Takahashi | Japan | 96 |
| 5 | Napadet Pinijdi | Thailand | 80 |
| 6 | Yuji Nishida | Japan | 77 |
The MVP was not the top scorer. Takahashi finished 17 points behind first-place Heo Su-bong, but with 22 service points he ranked first in that category. That works out to 22 of his 96 points, about 23%, coming from serves. An article from Baeguking gave Nishida's points as 80 in the body text and 77 in the ranking table; this table follows the 77 from the official standings.
Ran Takahashi's body fat from 12.5% to the 8% range, weight down about 4kg
In an exclusive column published in Sports Hochi on Sept. 14, Takahashi wrote that his "body fat percentage went from 12.5% to the 8% range." His weight dropped by about 4kg. He normally ate 250g of rice for breakfast, 300g for lunch and 300g for dinner. On match days, he reportedly increased lunch and dinner to 400~450g each, depending on his activity level.
If the breakfast portion stayed the same, his daily rice intake was normally 850g, and 1,050~1,150g on match days. That is 24~35% more than usual. Takahashi said he cooked for himself, using vegetables and chicken breast and tenderloin, and that at first he sent photos of every meal to a nutritionist for review. All of these figures were provided by the player himself, and no independently measured data has been confirmed.
The explanation that his performance changed is the player's own assessment. This portion size is a personal diet that a 188cm outside hitter designed for his own training and match conditions.
Takahashi, who is 25, will play for Bogdanka LUK Lublin in Poland starting with the 2026-27 season. In the column, he wrote that his goal is to gain experience in the new environment and prepare for a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. Japan's berth has been secured, but the national team roster has not yet been decided. Heading back toward the Olympic stage, Takahashi's mark from this tournament is 96 points, 22 of them from serves alone.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How many points did Ran Takahashi score against Korea?
In the Sept. 12 semifinal, he scored 14 points: 10 on attacks, 2 on blocks and 2 on serves. Japan won 3-0, with set scores of 25-13, 25-11 and 25-14.
Q. Is Ran Takahashi's body fat percentage exactly 8%?
No. The original wording in the column was the '8% range,' and he said it came down from 12.5%. There is no basis for stating it as exactly 8.0%, and it is a figure the player himself provided.
Q. Which team does Ran Takahashi play for?
His transfer was announced on May 29, 2026, and he will play for Bogdanka LUK Lublin in Poland starting with the 2026-27 season. His previous team was the Suntory Sunbirds Osaka (2024~2026).
Related official sites
- Japan Volleyball Association — Check Japan national team results and schedules
- Asian Volleyball Confederation — News on the Asian Championship
- Volleyball World official scoring statistics for the Asian Men's Championship — Final points ranking by player
- SV.League official records for Ran Takahashi — League records from his Suntory days (different from his current team)
Featured image · Archival photo · Not a photo from the current match in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Lega Pallavolo Serie A), CC BY-SA 4.0
Related reading
Wesports Editor · See profile and more articles