Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam will fight it out at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Southeast Asian Zonal Qualification Tournament

Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam will fight it out at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Southeast Asian Zonal Qualification Tournament at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium from October 7 to 9, vying for the lone spot to contest the next year’s final round.

Last week, the 4,000-seater gymnasium served as a battleground for the “SMM” 5th AVC Cup for Men which saw the host side finish a distant seventh among the Asia’s top eight teams participating in the one-week long competition. However, taken past performances of the three teams into consideration, Thailand have been regarded as hot favourites to clinch the lone ticket from this zonal competition for the final round.

World No.42 Thailand have already captured the gold medal at the South East Asian (SEA) Games for three times in a row (2011 in Palembang, Indonesia, 2013 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar and 2015 in Singapore). They finished 8th place at the last year’s Asian Senior Volleyball Championship and 7th position at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

With powerful attackers Jirayu Raksakaew and Kittikun Sri-utthawong at the helm, Thailand remain the strongest tactically and technically compared with Vietnam and Myanmar. More importantly, aside from taking the home crowd advantage, Thailand are also sending a high-potential team with a unique mixture of veterans and young bloods led by teenager Kantapat Koonmee, who stands 204cm tall, and the 193cm setter Mawin Maneewong, 20.

World No. 77 Vietnam have never won a gold medal at the biennial SEA Games. They came within a whisker of winning the title last year in Singapore, only to go down to Thailand in the final showdown. The Vietnamese did not take part in the Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship at the previous three editions (2015, 2013 and 2011).

Myanmar, also joint 77th in the world ranking, claimed bronze medal at the last year’s SEA Games in Singapore. They did not participate in the last year’s Asian Senior Men’s Championship in Iran, but came in 18th place among 21 teams at the 2013 episode in the UAE. Myanmar are also strong with the likes of hard-hitting Aung Thu. He was instrumental in lifting Myanmar the impressive fifth place at the last year’s Asian Men’s U23 Championship in Nay Pyi Taw aside from playing professionally at the Thailand League for several seasons.

The single round-robin competition at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium in Nakhon Pathom will kick off on Friday, October 7 at 6pm local time, with hosts Thailand taking on Myanmar. The following day sees Myanmar challenge Vietnam at the same time. On Sunday, October 9, hosts Thailand will go up against Vietnam in their final encounter of the three-day meet.

Only the top team will secure a berth to contest the final round, where four teams have already qualified. Iran and China are in Pool A, with Australia and Japan in Pool B. Six qualified teams from zonal competitions will make the cut for the final, with three teams apiece joining Pool A and Pool B.

The final round of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Asian Qualification Tournament will be held next year, with Iran and Australia hosting Pool A and Pool B encounters respectively.

Only top two teams from each pool (four teams in total) will then be eligible for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, which will be co-hosted for the first time in the history of the competition by Italy and Bulgaria.

Among the three participating countries, only Thailand have once qualified for the 1998 world meet in Japan. They finished joint 19th among 24 participating teams.

MATCH SCHEDULE
Friday, October 7, 2016
6pm: Thailand v Myanmar
Saturday, October 8, 2016
6pm: Vietnam v Myanmar
Sunday, October 9, 2016
6pm: Thailand v Vietnam