Panasonic Panthers has announced in its official website that Kunihiro Shimizu, its starting opposite hitter, has gone down with a season ending right knee ACL injury in its Round 4 match of the Japanese League against JT Thunder. Shimizu, who is also the captain of the Japanese national team, is the the competition’s 2nd best attacker, hitting at a 56.6% clip.
Shimizu has spent all his professional career, with the Panthers, starting in 2009 and having won Japan’s Premier League with the team 4 times. With the Japanese national team, he has won gold at the 2009 and 2015 (MVP) Asian Championships, as well as the 2010 Asian Games. He also led Japan to a bronze medal finish at the 2009 Grand Champions Cup, being the competition’s highest scorer.
Shimizu’s 12 months of recovery time means that he will miss the 2018 FIVB Men’s World Championship, an enourmous blow for the Japanese National Team.
He shared his feelings and frustrations with his fans on twitter:
02/18 – Fans, I am really sorry about today. But the fight will continue from now on! I will continue to cheer for myself. I can not believe everything that is happening now, but I have to tweet, even if I forcibly try to smile, saying that such a day is a reality. Today is the first day
02/19 – I will undergo surgery tomorrow. No regrets. I can come back again. The thoughts and words of everyone have arrived firmly. Thank you very much.
02/20 – The situation has changed dramatically from the day before yesterday. Honestly I do not know what it is. Anyways, I will tweet even if I do not forcibly try to avoid frustration, difficulty, and various obstacles . Today is the third day.
ファンのみなさんチームメイト
今日は本当にすみませんでした。
でもこれからも戦いは続きます！
引き続きご声援よろしくお願いします自分自身はもう今は何もかも全てがイヤで
信じられないですが
こんな日もあったなって
笑って言えるように
無理くりでもツイートしておきます。今日が1日目 pic.twitter.com/iurtZANVQN
— 清水邦広 (@JIJIDJSARINA) February 18, 2018
右前十字靭帯断裂
右内即靭帯断裂
半月板損傷
という診断結果でしたみなさんには心配をお掛けしまして本当にすみません
手術は２回する必要があり明日します
本当に悔やみきれないですまた戻ってこれるか分かりませんが
みなさんの思いや言葉はしっかりと届いています
本当にありがとうございます https://t.co/wYcPrG8qOu— 清水邦広 (@JIJIDJSARINA) February 20, 2018
おとといから目まぐるしく状況が変わって
正直何がなんだかわからないです。
簡単には復帰するように頑張ります
とは言えませんが『後ろを振り向かず
とにかく前にだけ進みます』これから
不安や困難、いろんな障害があって
も挫折しないように
無理くりでもツイートしておきます。今日が３日目 pic.twitter.com/f0rhPYXorO
— 清水邦広 (@JIJIDJSARINA) February 20, 2018
Here is the video of the injury. Viewer’s discretion is advised.
https://youtu.be/kgvUu2xCQUc
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