THAILAND, JAPAN, VIETNAM AND CHINA TOP THEIR PRELIMINARY-ROUND POOLS AT 22ND ASIAN SENIOR WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Hosts Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and China brushed off their unfancied rivals to respectively top Pools A, B, C and D following the conclusion of the pool round-robin preliminaries of the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship at Chartchai Hall and MCC Hall inside The Mall Korat Department Store on Friday.

Thailand, which captured the Asian title twice in 2009 and 2013 to their name, finished atop Pool A with 6 points from two straight wins. Australia came in second place with 3 points from one win against one loss and Mongolia lost both preliminary matches to come in third place with no point earned.

On Friday, Thailand shuffled their lineup in their last preliminary encounter against Mongolia to allow their players chances to sharpen their skills and find the right formula in preparing their team for tougher games in this topflight championship in the upcoming days.

In the first set, Thailand head coach Danai Sriwacharamaytakul fielded the starting lineup spearheaded by Ajcharaporn Kongyot, Pimpichaya Kokram and Hattaya Bamrungsuk, but replaced them with another six players in the second set and those who competed in the first set got back into the competition court in the third set.

Thailand proved too hot for Mongolia to handle as the world No.15 breezed past the underdogs in a completely one-sided battle 25-12, 25-7, 25-11 in just 58 minutes.

Star spiker Chatchu-On Moksri chipped in with 11 points from 2 attacks and spectacular 9 aces, 8 of which came in the Thailand’s first 15 points in the opening set. Pimpichaya Kokram and Wipawee Srithong kept good company to add another 10 and 9 points respectively. Thailand limited the rivals’ offense to the point that no Mongolian player got to reach double digits in scoring against them. Opposite hitter Ganbold Enkhnaran led Mongolia with 6 points including 5 attacks from 21 attempts.

  

World No.8 Japan, which had claimed five Asian titles including the previous two editions in 2019 and 2017 (2021 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic), topped Pool B with 6 points from two wins in succession, followed by India with 3 points from one win against one loss and winless Iran with no point awarded.

  

In their last preliminary clash against India on Friday, Japan fielded middle blocker and skipper Haruyo Shimamura, libero Manami Kojima and middle blocker Mami Yokota, three of them competed at this year’s Volleyball Nations League preliminaries.

Outside hitter Yuki Nishikawa proved an unstoppable force in the team’s lineup as she scored a match-high 19 points from 17 attacks and 2 aces to steer Japan to a comfortable straight-set 25-10, 25-16, 25-6 win. Anagha Radhakrishnan scored 8 points on the India’s losing effort.

“It was a good match. Actually, we prepared ourselves well, but a little problem is we could not implement our plan. Our reception is very poor. So, we could not produce our best performance like yesterday when we played against Iran. Japan played well with good blocking and back-row defence. All the time, they were good in all compartments, in attack, in reception, in service and good blocks. We will try our best in the round of Top 8,” India head coach Ajit Mahadeo Patil commented after the loss.  

Meanwhile, Pool C was dominated by world No.44 Vietnam, which captured two continental titles this year comprising the AVC Challenge Cup and the Asian Women’s Club Championship under the Sport Center 1’s banner. 

Vietnam bagged 8 points from three wins in succession, while world No.35 Korea finished second in Pool C with 6 points from two wins against one loss. Chinese Taipei completed their first-round campaign in third place with 4 points from one win against two losses, while Uzbekistan, which have yet won a set from their respective opponents, finished fourth.

On Friday, Korea had no difficulty in shutting out Uzbekistan in a lopsided encounter 25-12, 25-15, 25-12 in their last preliminary match.

Outside hitter Pyo Seungju contributed 18 points from 14 attacks, one block and one ace for Korea, while outside hitter Sativoldieva Ezozakhon led Uzbekistan with 9 points including 8 attacks from 33 attempts.

“Today, we played more comfortable in our side of the net and we improved our system. I’m very happy that my players are trying to push in the beginning to the end. It is nice to next play Thailand. I hope that the gymnasium will be full of Thai fans to support every team and I like that a lot,” said Korea’s head coach Spanish Hernandez Gonzalez Cesar after the win. 

The other Pool C match saw Vietnam overcome strong challenge from Chinese Taipei to power past the fighting opponents in dramatic four-setter 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 25-17.

Skipper Tran Thi Thanh Thuy was the most productive player for Vietnam after scoring a match-high 24 points including 21 attacks from 50 attempts, while Wu Fang-Yu delivered 15 points on the Chinese Taipei’s loss.

In Pool D, world No.6 China, which captured the Chengdu Universiade in early August, pocketed 9 points from a perfect sweep of three wins without losing a set. World No.39 Kazakhstan finished second with 6 points from two wins against one loss. Hong Kong, China came in third place after collecting 3 points from one win against two losses, with winless Philippines on the bottom fourth with one point.

In their last preliminary match on Friday, China demolished Kazakhstan in straight sets 25-12, 25-21, 25-10.

Outside hitter Wu Mengjie chipped in with 16 points from 14 attacks, one block and one ace for China, while Tatyana Nikitina led Kazakhstan with 13 points including 12 attacks from 34 attempts.

In the other encounter on Friday, Hong Kong, China put it past the Philippines in a three-setter 25-21, 25-21, 25-11.

Outside hitter and skipper Chim Wing Lam scored a team-high 18 points including 15 attacks for Hong Kong, China, while outside hitter Michaela Belen scored 13 points on the Philippines’ loss.

At the end of the pool round-robin preliminaries on Friday, top two teams from each pool advanced to the round of Top 8, split into Pool E (A1, A2, C1, C2) and Pool F (B1, B2, D1, D2). Lower-ranked sides were relegated to the Classification Round for 9th-14th places, with teams finishing 3rd in Pool A and 3rd, 4th places in Pool C contesting Pool G and those finishing 3rd in Pool B and 3rd, 4th places in Pool D competing in Pool H.

On Friday, qualified teams confirmed for round of Top 8 featured hosts Thailand, Australia, Vietnam and Korea in Pool E and Japan, India, China and Kazakhstan in Pool F. Lower-ranked teams relegated to Classification Round for 9th-14th places comprised Mongolia, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan in Pool G and Iran, Hong Kong China and Philippines in Pool H.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA READY TO HOST 22ND ASIAN SENIOR WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP DURING AUG 30-SEPT 6 HOME

Electrifying moments await ardent volleyball enthusiasts when the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship has already been confirmed to burst into action-packed encounters between August 30 and September 6 at 5,000-seater Chartchai Hall and The Mall Korat’s MCC Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, a large province on the northeastern plateau with a distance of 259km from Bangkok and acts as a gateway to other provinces in the northeast.

The eight-day topflight championship will be the fourth time to be organized by Nakhon Ratchasima after their remarkable successes in hosting the 11th Championship in 2001, followed by the 14th and 17th editions in 2007 and 2013 respectively. However, in terms of the host country, Thailand has already organized the championship for five times including the 1991 edition in Bangkok and 1995 in Chiang Mai. The 22nd championship in Nakhon Ratchasima will be, therefore, the overall 6 times of Thailand to play host to the prestigious competition.

The 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima has attracted a total of 14 teams to vie for top honor and accumulated points for FIVB World Rankings.

Hosts and world No.15 Thailand, which captured the Asian title twice in 2009 and 2013, are in Pool A together with Mongolia, which finished 11th in their last appearance at the 2015 edition in China, and world No.51 Australia, while Pool B consists of world No.8 Japan, defending and consecutive two-time Asian champions, world No.63 India and Iran, current world No.61.

World No.35 Korea, which have yet won the Asian titles to secure second spot for seven times, will seek their unprecedented title in Nakhon Ratchasima to compete in Pool C with world No.50 Chinese Taipei, world No.64 Uzbekistan and AVC Challenge Cup champions Vietnam, current world No.47

Formidable China, world No.6, former 13-time Asian champions and historic silver medallists at the recent VNL, are in Pool D, with Hong Kong China, Kazakhstan and Philippines joining the fray.

Participating teams will compete in the pool round-robin preliminaries, with only top two teams from each pool advancing to the Top 8, split into Pool E (A1, A2, C1, C2) and Pool F (B1, B2, D1, D2). Lower-ranked sides will be relegated to Classification Round for 9th-14th places, with teams finishing 3rd in Pool A and 3rd, 4th places in Pool C contesting Pool G and those finishing 3rd in Pool B and 3rd, 4th places in Pool D competing in Pool H.

  

In the Round of Top 8, well-qualified teams will be pitted in the pool round-robin competition once again, with top two teams from Pool E and Pool F contesting the cross semifinals. The two winning teams will next face off in the final showdown on September 6, while the losers will fight it out in the third-place playoff clash for bronze medal.

Teams From Indonesia, Thailand Crowned In Zonal Events of Southeast Asian Men’s Volleyball League

Southeast Asian Men’s Volleyball League

The second leg of the inaugural Southeast Asian Men’s Volleyball League took place in Santa Rosa, Philippines from 28 to 30 July, and, for the second time, Indonesia achieved a clean sweep of the round-robin tournament to claim their second title. The Indonesian men’s national volleyball team has so far been allocated a total of CHF 27,000 of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support.

The Indonesians started with a 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-14, 25-23) win over Vietnam, followed up with a straight-set 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-20) victory over hosts Philippines and finished their campaign with a nail-biting 3-2 (25-27, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-9) victory (pictured in the main photo; credits: asianvolleyball.net) over Thailand. Vietnam finished runners-up after five-set wins over Thailand and the Philippines, while Thailand, another team supported by Volleyball Empowerment, completed the podium with bronze, despite competing with their second squad due to the first team participating in the Volleyball Challenger Cup.

Indonesia’s Halim Farhan was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the three-day tournament. Setter Dinh Van Duy (Vietnam), opposite Rotter (Philippines), outside hitters Thanomnoi Jakkrit (Thailand) and Arabi Boy Arnes (Indonesia), middle blockers Kurniawan Hendra (Indonesia) and Truong The Khai (Vietnam), and libero Prasojo Prasojo (Indonesia) were named on the Dream Team.

The previous week, Indonesia were even more convincing at home, in Jakarta, where they lost only a set (to Thailand) in the three matches played. Thailand finished second after sweeping their games against third-placed Vietnam and fourth-placed Philippines.

Southeast Asian Women’s Volleyball League

Thailand topped the podium at the first leg of the women’s SEA V. League, held last week in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam. Hosts Vietnam; supported by Volleyball Empowerment through the 2023 Knowledge Transfer program, hiring a physiotherapist to work with the team, and Thailand defeated the other two teams on the first two competition days and met face-to-face in the deciding match on Sunday. After a hard-fought 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 28-26, 25-17) turnaround, the Thais snatched the inaugural title, leaving Vietnam with the silver, while the bronze medals went to Indonesia.

Thai star Kongyot Ajcharaporn took two individual awards, for MVP and for a Dream Team outside hitter. The other Dream Team nominations went to setter Doan Thi Lam Oanh (Vietnam), opposite Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh (Vietnam), outside Tran Thi Thanh Thuy (Vietnam), middle Siti Nur Fadhilah Wilda (Indonesia) and Nuekjang Thatdao (Thailand), and libero Pannoy Piyanut (Thailand).

The SEA V. League (formerly known as ASEAN Grand Prix) is a series of international volleyball tournaments in Southeast Asia featuring the men’s and the women’s national teams from Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. The second women’s tournament is set to take place this week, from 11 to 13 August, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Volleyball World Launches Host City Bidding Process For FIVB Men’s And Women’s Volleyball World Championships In 2025 And 2027

In response to growing interest from potential hosts and the increasing value of the FIVB World Championships, Volleyball World has joined forces with The Sports Consultancy to run a structured bidding process for the 2025 and 2027 editions of the events. The Sports Consultancy is globally recognized as leader in host city procurement for a range of major sporting and entertainment properties.

Volleyball World with the support of The Sports Consultancy have developed an innovative and collaborative bidding process to find the next hosts for these prestigious events. The bidding process was officially launched on 1 August 2023, with the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) inviting all 222 National Federations to express their interest in hosting an event. The Sports Consultancy will also be inviting event organisers and host cities to express interest. Interested parties can submit their expression of interest by 31 August 2023 here.   

The FIVB Volleyball World Championships, held from August to October, represent the pinnacle of international volleyball, attracting 32 nations to compete for the ultimate glory over a thrilling 17-day period.

With their broad appeal, the World Championships have delivered a host city impact of up to 150million EUR for previous hosts, including: the Netherlands and Poland, Japan, Italy, Germany and Slovenia. Hosting the World Championships resulted in an influx of domestic and international visitors who immersed themselves in the vibrancy of the local culture, enabling these cities to share their unique experiences with a global audience.

 Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor said:

“We are excited to be working alongside The Sports Consultancy to find dedicated and passionate host cities for the upcoming editions of the FIVB World Championships. The Championships deliver countless economic and social benefits, offering a significant return on investment to the host city.

"Through our partnership with The Sports Consultancy, we have full confidence in discovering passionate and dedicated host cities that will take the Championships to new heights.”

Robert Datnow, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Sports Consultancy added:

“We are delighted to be continuing our work with Volleyball World to create a range of competitive procurement processes, highlighting the many public and private sector impacts and returns on investment, to secure world-renowned hosts for the FIVB World Championships both men and women’s in 2025 and 2027.

“We are pleased to bring The Sports Consultancy’s full and long experience of articulating the accepted significant economic, destination marketing and societal value of hosting these Championships and of successfully securing over 160 iconic hosts for some of the world’s best-known events, over the past 17 years.”

Men’s and Women's FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifier: Groups, venues, schedule and key dates to watch live action

 

Olympic champions France drew world champions Italy in their group for the men's FIVB Road to Paris Olympic Volleyball Qualifier at the Drawing of Lots ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday (17 March).

The men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) comprises of three pools of eight teams, and will take place from 30 September to 8 October 2023 in Brazil, China, and Japan.

Twelve teams will compete for the gold medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, including automatic qualifiers and hosts France.

The top two finishers in each pool for the qualifier will earn one of six automatic qualification berths for Paris 2024, and the five remaining qualification spots will be filled by the top five nations not yet qualified in the FIVB World Rankings at the end of the preliminary phase of the Volleyball Nations League 2024.

Below, we take a look at the Road to Paris Olympic Qualifier full group draw, and how to watch the action live.

Pool A (in Brazil) - Brazil, Italy, Iran, Cuba, Ukraine, Germany, Czechia, Qatar

Group B (in Japan) - Japan, USA, Slovenia, Serbia, Türkiye, Tunisia, Egypt, Finland

Group C (in China) - People's Republic of China, Poland, Argentina, Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Bulgaria.

Each of the three Olympic Qualifying Tournament pools take place from 30 September to 8 October 2023.

A full schedule will be confirmed ahead of the tournament.

The OQT for women takes place from 16-24 September 2023.

Women's Olympic champions the USA will play against powerhouse Italy in the group stages of the women's FIVB Road to Paris Olympic Volleyball Qualifier at the Drawing of Lots ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday (17 March).

The women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) comprises of three pools of eight teams, taking place from 16-24 September 2023 in the People's Republic of China, Japan, and Poland.

The United States and Italy will also take on the likes of Germany, Thailand, and Colombia in their group in Poland.

World champions Serbia will head to the People's Republic of China for their group matches, while Brazil have been drawn to play in the Japan-based group.

Twelve teams will compete for the gold medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, including automatic qualifiers and hosts France.

The top two finishers in each pool for the qualifier will earn one of six automatic qualification berths, and the five remaining qualification spots will be filled by the top five nations not yet qualified in the FIVB World Rankings at the end of the preliminary phase of the Volleyball Nations League 2024.

Below, we take a look at the Road to Paris Olympic Qualifier full group draw, and the host venues.

Women’s FIVB Road to Paris 2024 Olympic Volleyball Qualifier - Groups

Pool A (in China) - People's Republic of China, Serbia, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Canada, Czechia, Mexico, Ukraine 

Pool B (in Japan) - Japan, Brazil, Türkiye, Belgium, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Peru

Pool C (in Poland) - Poland, Italy, USA, Germany, Thailand, Colombia, Republic of Korea, Slovenia

Women’s FIVB Road to Paris 2024 Olympic Volleyball Qualifier - Schedule and key dates

Each of the three Olympic Qualifying Tournament pools take place from 16-24 September 2023.

A full schedule will be confirmed ahead of the tournament.

The OQT for men takes place from 20 September to 8 October 2023.

Chiang Mai to Host 2023 SEA V League Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Program to Celebrate Thai Players

 

The beautiful city of Chiang Mai is gearing up to host the highly-anticipated 2023 CV League women’s volleyball tournament. This exciting event will showcase the talents of Thai women’s volleyball players and is set to take place from August 11th to 13th, 2023 at the renowned Chiang Mai 700 Years Stadium. Competing in the tournament will be four countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia.

Mr. Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association of Thailand, expressed his confidence in Chiang Mai as the perfect host for this prestigious event. While it is the first time the association has organized an international volleyball match in the province, Chiang Mai has demonstrated its readiness with top-notch facilities that meet all necessary standards. Additionally, the city boasts a plethora of cultural attractions that are well-loved by international visitors. The matches will be broadcasted live on Channel One 31, allowing volleyball enthusiasts to follow every thrilling moment.

The 2023 CV League women’s volleyball tournament marks the beginning of the Thai women’s competition program, previously known as the ASEAN Grand Prix Volleyball. It will comprise two legs, with the first leg scheduled to be held in Vietnam from August 4th to 6th, 2023. The second leg will then take place at the Chiang Mai 700th Anniversary Celebration stadium in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, from August 11th to 13th, 2023. The four teams competing in the tournament are Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

CVLeague 2023 Volleyball Tournament – First Leg in Vietnam

• Friday, August 4, 2023
• 4:00 pm – Indonesia vs Thailand
• Saturday, August 5, 2023
• 4:00 pm – Thailand vs Philippines
• Sunday, August 6, 2023
• 7:00 pm – Thailand vs Vietnam

CVLeague 2023 Volleyball Tournament – Second Leg at Chiang Mai 700 Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai Province

• Friday, August 11, 2023
• 3:00 pm – Vietnam vs Indonesia
• 6:00 pm – Philippines vs Thailand
• Saturday, August 12, 2023
• 12:00 noon – Vietnam vs Philippines
• 3:00 pm – Indonesia vs Thailand
• Sunday, August 13, 2023
• 3:00 pm – Philippines vs Indonesia
• 6:00 pm – Thailand vs Vietnam

Chiang Mai is preparing to host the 2023 CV League women’s volleyball tournament with a program to cheer on Thai women’s volleyball players

On July 11, 2023, the Volleyball Association of Thailand organized a press conference for the 3rd SEA V League Women’s Volleyball Tournament in 2023 (3rd SEA V League), scheduled for August 11-13, 2023 at Stadium Chiang Mai 700 years, Chiang Mai Province, with 4 countries participating in the competition, which includes Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.

Mr. Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association of Thailand Said that we trusted Chiang Mai to host the event.

Although this is the first time the association has had the opportunity to organize an international volleyball match with the province but in Chiang Mai Show potential to see the readiness of the competition field that meets standards There are also many cultural attractions that popular with foreigners. This year we chose the 700 year old Chiang Mai Stadium, Chiang Mai Province. is a playground And watch the live broadcast of every game on the screen on Channel One 31, hoping that this competition will be successful. able to impress both Thai and foreign athletes and officials as well

For the next Thai women’s competition program, starting with the 3rd V.Sea League Volleyball Tournament, 2023, or formerly known as the ASEAN Grand Prix Volleyball (ASEAN Grand Prix) divides the competition into 2 stages , with the first leg competing between 4-6 August 2023 in Vietnam and the second leg between 11-13 August 2023 at the stadium. Chiang Mai 700th Anniversary Celebration, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, with 4 teams participating in the competition: Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines.

CVLeague 2023 Volleyball Tournament, First Leg, Vietnam

Friday, August 4, 2023
Indonesia meets Thailand at 4:00 pm

Saturday 5 August 2023
Thailand meets the Philippines at 4:00 pm

Sunday, August 6, 2023
Thai Nov, Vietnam at 7:00 pm

CVLeague 2023 Volleyball Competition, second leg at Chiang Mai 700 Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai Province

Friday, August 11, 2023
Vietnam meets Indonesia at 3:00 pm
Philippines meets Thailand at 6:00 pm

Saturday 12 August 2023
Vietnam meets the Philippines at 12:00 noon.
Indonesia meets Thailand at 3:00 pm

Sunday, August 13, 2023
Philippines meets Indonesia at 3:00 pm
Thailand meets Vietnam at 6:00 pm

GRESIK ,INDOENSIA to host 2023 AVC Challenge Cup for Women from June 18 to 25

 

A total of 12 teams confirmed their participation in the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup for Women from June 18 to 25 in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia, the crucial tournament to qualify only one team to represent Asia in the FIVB Women’s Challenger Cup, which acts as a qualifier for the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League.

Ahead of the drawing of lots, Mr Shanrit informed the representatives of participating teams that the AVC Challenge Cup for both men and women will be held annually, giving Asian teams an opportunity to accumulate world ranking points and improve their world rankings. If this AVC Challenge Cup and the Asian Senior Volleyball Championship take place in the same year, participating teams will stand a chance of accumulating their world ranking points twice.

Following the results of the drawing of lots, organisers Indonesia are in Pool A with Macao and Philippines, while Hong Kong China, which captured their maiden Asian Women’s Challenge Cup title at the last year’s edition in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, are in Pool B with Chinese Taipei and Iran. Pool C comprises India, Australia and Kazakhstan, with Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Vietnam in Pool D. Hosts Indonesia are due to take on Macao in their opening match on June 18.