Iraq and Japan will play each other aiming for their first and only win of the Games, in the Men's Sitting Volleyball 7-8 classification match at the CAU Gymnasium on Saturday, September 13.
Brazil battles China for fifth and sixth place, while in the Women's tournament Ukraine and Lithuania will compete for fifth and sixth and Latvia and Japan will match up for the seventh and eight position.
Women's competition
Ukraine v Lithuania - 5th/6th place
- Ukraine beat Japan 3-0 in the preliminary round and won their first qualification match against Latvia in straight sets.
- Ukraine lost 3-0 to Slovenia and to the Netherlands in the Preliminary round.
- Ilona Yudina (Ukraine) is the second best scorer and the fourth best spiker of the tournament so far with 64 points and 43 kill spikes.
- Lithuania lost to the United States and China in their first two matches 3-0 and beat Latvia and Japan 3-1 in the third and fourth matches.
- Lithuania is one of the best blocking teams at these Paralympics. They can count on Jolita Urbutiene, the second best blocker of the tournament, and Virginija Zilyte, the fourth best.
Latvia v Japan - 7th/8th place
- Latvia has won only one set at these Games, in their preliminary round match against Lithuania.
- Irina Jermolenko proved to be Latvia's most efficient scorer in this tournament.
- Japan lost to Netherlands (3-0), to Slovenia (3-1), to Ukraine (3-0) in the Preliminary round and to Lithuania (3-1) in their first 5-8 classification match.
- Japan is the strongest team when it comes to receiving. Awano Sachie is the most efficient receiver of the tournament.
- Omura Shiori is Japan's safest choice for defense, as the fourth best diggers at these Games.
Men's competition
Japan v Iraq (Men) - 7th-8th places
- Japan has not won a single set at these Games so far.
- Japan performed poorly in spiking. Their best scoring spiker so far is Tanaka Koji, who has an efficacy of only one percent.
- Iraq has one set in four matches, in their classification game against Brazil on Thursday.
- Iraq's opponents will have to watch out for Hadi Juboori, since he is the second best scorer of the tournament so far.
China v Brazil (Men) - 5th-6th places
- China beat Iraq 3-0 in the preliminary round and Japan 3-0 in the first classification match on Thursday.
- China proved to be the third best team at scoring on spikes after Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Brazil beat Japan in the preliminary round and Iraq 3-1 in the first classification match on Thursday.
- Brazil attack can count on the third best scoring spiker of these Games, Wescley Oliveira.
(BOCOG September 13, 2008)