Thai spikers to leave for Macau today
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The Thailand women's volleyball team will leave today for the FIVB World Grand Prix preliminaries in Macau with high hopes of making it to the finals for the second year in succession.
The world’s top 16 teams – defending two-time winners USA, Olympic champs Brazil, World Cup winners Italy, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Serbia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Poland, Germany, Turkey and Thailand – will contest the three-week long preliminaries. Only the five best besides hosts China advance to the finals in Ningbo from June 27 to July 1.
Thailand, who finished sixth last year, will open their campaign against Argentina on Friday in Pool A before going up against Puerto Rico on Saturday and hosts China on Sunday.
In the second week, Thailand will travel to Komaki, Japan, and play Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and hosts Japan in Pool F from June 15 to 17. The Thai team will next play in Pool J against world No 1 USA, Serbia and Argentina from June 22 to 24 at Keelawes 1 Gymnasium, Thai-Japan Youth Welfare Centre Stadium.
Shanrit Wongprasert, Thailand Volleyball Association director, hopes the team can put behind the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Olympics and come out firing on all cylinders. “Let bygones be bygones. I hope everyone will forget the failure and move on,” he said.
“I hope this they time they will improve their fortunes in the World Grand Prix. The team proved its talent in Tokyo last month where they beat Serbia, Cuba, Taiwan and Peru. I am sure they can repeat the feat at the World Grand Prix. Thailand today can match any team in the world.”
