In June 2025, in the small Polish town of Sosnowiec almost 300km south of the capital Warsaw, a young talent blossomed before the eyes of many observers at the U21 World Championship. For many, this competition represents the last opportunity to shine before entering the big leagues. Haruto Nagamori, on the other hand, is still just getting started.
At just 19 years of age, the young Japanese centre-half has quickly established himself as the leader of his team. Scoring ten goals in four of his five matches at the tournament, the young centre-half was incandescent. Despite his side's elimination in the main round, his 51 goals saw him finish ninth on the tournament scorers chart. It was a remarkable performance, given that a few weeks later he took on Paris Saint-Germain with his club Zeekstar Tokyo during the capital club's summer tour.
That meeting proved consequential, with Haruto Nagamori arriving in the French capital in February to continue his apprenticeship at the Paris Saint-Germain Handball youth academy. Over the last few months, Haruto Nagamori has played alongside the youngsters under the guidance of Pierre-Alexis Medina, while also having the opportunity to take part in a training session with the first team in March.
The 19-year-old has now returned to Zeekstar Tokyo, where he will try to help his club win the domestic championship for the first time in its young history, before potentially meeting up with the capital club this summer during the next tour of Japan, from 28 July to 6 August.
