Thailand's men spikers buoyed by the easy draw
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Thailand have been handed a comfortable draw in the 17th Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, due to be held at the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Sports Complex in the United Arab Emirates from September 28 to October 3.
The draw for the 24-team championship took place in the UAE on Sunday. The winners will represent the continent in the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup later this year in Japan.
“Teams have learned who their opponents are and therefore will have enough time to prepare for the Asia’s biggest volleyball competition,” said Shanrit Wongprasert, present at the draw in his role as director of the Thailand Volleyball Association.
Hosts UAE face Jordan and Indonesia in Group A, while Australia, the team with the best world ranking in Asia at No 11, are in Group B along with Bahrain and Myanmar. Formidable Iran, the 2011 winners on home soil, will begin their title defence in Group C against Kuwait and Kazakhstan, while China, who lost to Iran in the previous edition’s final, will be up against Saudi Arabia and Taiwan in Group D.
Japan, who have the envious record of seven title wins since the competition’s inception in 1975, have been drawn in Group E along with Oman and Sri Lanka, while Group F consists of South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. Group G comprises India, Qatar and Uzbekistan.
Thailand face Pakistan and Lebanon in Group H and look to have a relatively easy route through to the latter stages.
The match schedule has yet to be decided.
The Thailand team is currently in intensive training at the Hua Mark Sports Centre for the 2014 FIVB World Men’s Championship Qualification Southeast Asian Zone, which is due to take place in Nakhon Pathom from June 26 to 28. At stake for four teams – Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and current SEA Games champions Thailand – is a place in the 16-team Asian Finals.
