Japan opened their account at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship with a win against France, taking a 2:0 win, after mounting a comeback in the second set of their maiden match in the competition.

GROUP A 
Japan vs France 2:0 (14:5; 12:7)

When two debutants collide in a match on the biggest of stages, it will always be difficult to predict what was going to happen. It was exactly the situation between Japan and France at the 3rd IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship, with a tight encounter expected.

On one hand, France looked like the more experienced side, but Japan recorded a better start, as nerves and jitters could be seen in France’s play, with the European side turning the ball over three times in the first two minutes.

But it was also a matter of taking advantage of said mistakes for Japan, which they duly did, constantly displaying a roaming attack and a strong defence, preventing France from scoring points easily.

In fact, the European side could only convert easy shots via fast breaks, with long passes from the goalkeeper, but they could not weather the storm, as Japan were magnifically efficient in their attacks.

With Yukitaka Moriya (nine points) and Shinnosuke Morooka (five points) shining on the court, the Asian side jumped to a 14:5 win in the first set, closing on to their maiden win at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship.

In the second set, France took early control and looked like they could have delivered plenty of trouble, when they took a 7:5 lead and continued to pile on the pressure. However, when France failed to score in the last three minutes and 20 seconds of the match, it opened the door for Japan to mount a comeback and secure the win.

And indeed, they did so, with Moriya finishing with 15 points and Morooka 10 more, to turn the match on its head and help Japan clinch a 12:7 win in the second set, subsequently taking the win and the points in their maiden match at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship.

Japan tied Brazil on the top of the group, with one win each, while France are third, tied with the United States of America, as tomorrow’s two matches will decide their fate.