THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Thailand ready to defend volleyball crown

Thailand ready to defend volleyball crown

Three-time champions Thailand will defend their crown when the AVC Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship gets underway at the MCC Hall, The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima, from April 21 to 29.

 

The tournament will serve as the Asian qualifying round for the FIVB World Club Volleyball Championship to be held later this year in Qatar. Only the winning team from the tournament will secure a berth in the world meet.
The annual championship has attracted 9 teams across the continent. Iran (club team to be confirmed), Japan (Toray Arrows), Vietnam (Binh Dien Long An), Myanmar (Asia World) and hosts Thailand (Chang) are in Pool A, while Pool B consists of Malaysia (club team to be confirmed), former five-time winners China (Tianjin Bridgestone), Kazakhstan (Zhetysu Almaty) and Sri Lanka (club team to be confirmed).
The opening ceremony will take place at Sima Thani Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima on April 20. The round-robin preliminaries kick off the next day, with Malaysia taking on Sri Lanka in the opening match. The other matches on the opening day see Vietnam play Myanmar, Kazakhstan challenge China and Japan against the hosts.
Thailand had actually planned to stage the 16th Princess Cup Women’s Volleyball Invitational Tournament this year. However, the Asian Volleyball Confederation allotted the Asian Championship to the Kingdom, forcing the Thailand Volleyball Association to merge both tournaments.
Since the inception of the tournament in 1999 in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, China have won five times and Thailand three times with Federbrau handing the country the maiden crown in 2009 in Nakhon Pathom.
Chang’s head coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai is hopeful of winning again. “We have selected 19 players, including a few youngsters, who were put through some intensive training. Four main players are still playing in international leagues. Setter Nootsara Tomkom and libero Piyanut Pannoy are due to join the team on Tuesday. 
We will keep a watchful eye on individual performances and select the best 12 players for the Asian Club meet.
“We will try our best to defend our title. However, the tournament will serve as a tune-up ahead of tougher matches in the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan between May 19 and 27. We hope to finish among the top four,” said Kiattipong.
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