Beach volleyball duos from Canada, who benefit from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, were among the medallists at last week’s continental events in Juan Dolio, the Dominican Republic; the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour Finals and the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Championships. Pairs from Cuba, the United States and Puerto Rico also reached the podiums.

Canada, whose men’s beach volleyball programme has received CHF 72,000 worth of coach support from Volleyball Empowerment, medalled at both competitions under the guidance of Josh Nichol.

NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour Finals

Canada’s Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing (pictured in the main photo) reached the final of the tournament after an impressive 2-0 (21-16, 21-19) semifinal win over the number four team in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Rankings, the USA’s Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh. Schachter and Dearing put up a great fight in the final against Cuba’s Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo, but lost both sets by the narrowest of margins in the overtime, 2-0 (24-22, 22-20). Partain and Benesh settled for bronze with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-9) sweep of the third-place match against Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora and Jefferson Cascante.

In a high-calibre women’s gold medal match, Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft from the United States of America celebrated a 2-1 (21-16, 14-21, 15-11) victory over Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain. Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and Maria Gonzalez mastered an emphatic 2-0 (21-6, 21-10) sweep of the bronze medal game against Costa Rica’s Laura Molina and Kianny Quesada.

NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Championships

Canada claimed the men’s bronze at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Championships, held in Juan Dolio before the senior Finals. Tynan Gannett and Steven Abrams made it to the podium after a convincing 2-0 (21-18, 21-14) victory over the USA’s Kyle Paulson and Sebastian Rodriguez in the third-place game. Before that, in the semifinals, the Canadians met the same Cuban duo that eventually won both the U23 and the senior events, Diaz and Alayo, and lost by a tight 2-0 (21-18, 21-19). The Cubans took the U23 continental trophy after mastering an emphatic 2-0 (21-15, 21-13) victory over the USA’s Tate Calles and Brendan Onishchenko in the final.

A Cuban pair snatched the women’s U23 gold too. Amanda Armenteros and Maykelin Drik delivered a 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) victory over the USA’s Sierra Caffo and Ella Larkin in the final. Another American duo, Delayne Maple and Xolani Hodel, completed the podium after a 2-0 (21-11, 21-17) win over Canada’s Katarina Pantovic and Erika Vermette for the bronze.

HANGZHOU, China – In a breathtaking display of resilience and skill, Türkiye’s Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul overcame a fierce challenge from their city rivals, VakifBank Spor Kulubu, to be crowned the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2023 champions on Sunday. The nail-biting final, held in Hangzhou, China, saw Eczacibasi emerge victorious with a 3-2 win (19-25, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 15-9), marking their third world title triumph after previous wins in 2015 and 2016.

This victory was particularly sweet for Eczacibasi, as they avenged their earlier 1-3 loss to Vakifbank in this year’s CEV Champions League final. The match showcased the highest level of women’s club volleyball, with both teams displaying incredible tenacity and skill.

Eczacibasi’s journey to the title was marked by dominant performances throughout the tournament. They topped Pool A with a flawless record, including straight-set victories over Brazil’s Gerdau Minas and hosts Tianjin Bohai Bank. Their semi-final clash against Brazil’s Dentil Praia Clube ended in a 3-1 victory, setting the stage for the much-anticipated final against Vakifbank.

For Vakifbank, the silver medal added another chapter to their storied history in the competition. Aiming for a record fifth world title, they had a stellar run up to the final, winning all their matches in straight sets, including victories over Dentil Praia, Vietnam’s Sports Center I, and Tianjin Bohai Bank.

The final itself was a rollercoaster of emotions, with momentum swinging between the two teams. Eczacibasi’s Tijana Boskovic, the Serbian powerhouse, led the scoring with an impressive 27 points, including 25 kills. Her performance, along with Hande Baladin’s 20 points, was pivotal in their victory. VakifBank’s American opposite, Jordan Thompson, put up a valiant fight scoring a game-high 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

In the bronze medal match, Tianjin Bohai Bank secured their first Club World Championship podium finish by defeating Dentil Praia Clube 3-1. The Chinese champions displayed formidable team play, with standout performances from Wang Yizhu and Li Yingying, scoring 20 and 19 points respectively.

The tournament also saw individual brilliance recognized, with players from the finalists dominating the Dream Team selections. Eczacibasi’s Boskovic was a double winner, bagging both the best opposite and Most Valuable Player awards. Her teammates Elif Sahin and Jovana Stevanovic were named best setter and best middle blocker, respectively. Vakifbank’s Gabriela Guimaraes and Tianjin’s Li Yingying shared the best outside hitter accolade, with Vakifbank’s Ayca Aykac and Zehra Gunes completing the Dream Team as best libero and best middle blocker, respectively.

The FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2023 will be remembered for its high level of competition, the emergence of new talents, and the thrilling finale that underscored the growing prominence and excitement surrounding women’s volleyball on the global stage.

Bengaluru, 16 December 2023: In a groundbreaking collaboration, Special Olympics joined forces with the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) during the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 held in Bengaluru, India. With an aim of promoting inclusion and unity through sports, ten exceptional Special Olympics Bharat athletes joined the formidable team from Brazil, Itambé Minas and the World Club Champions – Sir Safety Perugia from Italy, to engage in a symbolic jersey exchange ceremony. The gesture of friendship underscored the power of sports in fostering understanding and breaking down barriers.

In addition, the Special Olympics Bharat athletes participated in a training session alongside some players ahead of the much-awaited finals between the two heavyweights of Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships, the Italian Sir Safety Perugia and the Brazilian Itambe Minas. This meeting not only showcased the exceptional skills of people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs), but also served as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of inclusion through sports.

Notably, the event served as a compelling follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between both organizations during the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 in June. Special Olympics Bharat also participated at these Games, where they secured an impressive tally of 200 medals (77 Gold, 71 Silver & 52 Bronze)

Dr Ary S. Graça F°, FIVB President: “The FIVB is delighted to continue its partnership with Special Olympics, once again showcasing the unifying power of volleyball. The commemorative jersey exchange ceremony, held in collaboration with Special Olympics Bharat during the Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship in India, demonstrated our shared values of inclusivity, empowerment and promoting a healthy lifestyle, and we look forward to expanding this collaboration over the coming years.

Dr. Mallika Nadda, President, Special Olympics Bharat: “At Special Olympics Bharat, we believe in the transformative power of sports to create a more inclusive world. The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships is a testament to our commitment to breaking down barriers and fostering a society where every individual, regardless of ability, feels valued and included. I would personally like to thank FIVB and the Indian Organising Committee for rooting for the cause of Special Olympics here in India.”

Preethy Janarthanan, Sports & Competition team, Special Olympics Asia Pacific: “In Special Olympics, a key area of our work focuses on providing sports training to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. We work to give them continued opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of skills and friendship within the community. We are delighted to see our athletes fulfilling their passion, showcasing their talent and learning from some of the world’s top volleyball players at the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 in Bengaluru. These sessions are just one of the multiple ways in which Special Olympics reinforces sports and fitness as a way of life for our athletes, which helps to grow their confidence and esteem.”

This collaborative effort between Special Olympics Bharat and FIVB marks a significant step towards building a more inclusive future; one where the spirit of sports transcends boundaries and embraces the richness of diversity.

The Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour will return to many of its well-known locations with Elite16 or Challenge events during its third season in 2024. The globe-trotting circuit, introduced in 2022, will also visit destinations like Xiamen, Stare Jablonki and Vienna that are new to the Tour, yet iconic venues in the history of beach volleyball, as well as expand international beach volleyball geography to venues that will welcome world-level events for the first time.

The first half of the new season, until June 10, will continue to be marked with the extra incentive, those precious Olympic qualification points on the road to Paris 2024. And just like in 2021, Ostrava in Czechia will organize the last tournament that will count towards the ranking race for the Olympic tickets, as it welcomes an Elite16 tournament from June 5 to 9.

Once again, the season will start and end in Doha. Just like in 2022, the first Elite16 event will take place in the Qatari capital, from March 5 to 9, and the Beach Pro Tour will return to the Gulf city for the Finals from December 5 to 8.

From the Middle East, the 2024 Beach Pro Tour will move to Latin America, where several high-level tournaments will be held in March and April. The Tour will return to Saquarema in Brazil for a Challenge event in March and to Tepic in Mexico for an Elite16 event in April. The Brazilian city of Recife will also welcome a Challenge event in March, 28 years after holding its only previous world-level tournament, the women’s Brazil Open on the 1996 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, while the Mexican city of Guadalajara will organize a Challenge stop in April, its first-ever world-level event.

After this Latin American leg, the Beach Pro Tour will round off its April programme with a Challenge event in Xiamen. The Chinese city, which hosted a number of World Tour tournaments in the past, will welcome a Beach Pro Tour stop for the first time.

Another venue that has hosted many top-calibre beach volleyball competitions in history, including the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, Stare Jablonki in Poland, also appears on the Beach Pro Tour calendar for the first time, setting the stage for a Challenge tournament in May and June, one of several high-level stops in Europe between late May and late August.

This European leg will start just before that from Portugal, where an Elite16 tournament will be held at a venue yet to be determined.

After the Ostrava Elite16 puts the final touches on the Olympic Ranking in June, Elite16 events will also be held at emblematic European venues like Gstaad in Switzerland and Vienna in Austria in July, before the focus turns to the Olympic Games in Paris, and then also in Hamburg in Germany in late August. Having hosted the World Championships in 2017, a couple of top-level World Tour events in the next two years, as well as the CEV European Championships in 2021 and 2023, the Austrian capital will now be part of the Beach Pro Tour calendar for the first time.

From Hamburg, the beach volleyball elite will fly to another northern city, but in the western hemisphere. At the end of August, Montreal in Canada will host an Elite16 tournament for the second time.

Returning to high-level action in the fall, the Beach Pro Tour will go back to Joao Pessoa in Brazil in October, to India (venue to be determined) in November and to Nuvali in the Philippines in November and December for the last Challenge stops of the season, before it culminates with December’s Finals in Doha.

As Volleyball World continues to work with potential organizers, more exciting high-level tournaments may be added to the 2024 Beach Pro Tour calendar in the weeks to come.

Six top-level women’s clubs will battle it out from 13-17 December at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship in Hangzhou, China for the ultimate title of Club World Champions. The women’s competition returns to the country after four years since Shaoxing hosted the 2018 and 2019 editions.

China’s Tianjin Bohai Bank women’s volleyball club will be joined by Türkiye’s Istanbul rivals, Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul and VakifBank Spor Kulubu, Brazil’s Gerdau Minas of Belo Horizonte and Dentil Praia Clube of Uberlandia, as well as Vietnamese newcomers Sport Center I Women’s Club of Hanoi.Türkiye’s VakifBank Spor Kulubu launch their quest for a record-extending fifth world title on Wednesday when they face debutantes Sport Center I Women’s Club of Hanoi in the opening match of the tournament.

The Turkish giants, who lost 1-3 to Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano in last year’s final, are in Pool B alongside South American champions Dentil Praia Clube Uberlandia of Brazil and the Vietnamese newcomers.

Hosts and reigning Chinese league champions Tianjin Bohai Bank will begin their campaign against Brazil’s Gerdau Minas Belo Horizonte in the first Pool A match.

Two-time champions Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul of Türkiye, who are also in Pool A, will play their first match on Thursday against Gerdau Minas in what will be a repeat of last year’s third place play-off, which the Europeans won 3-1 to claim bronze.

Dentil Praia will hope to reach the podium in this year’s edition when they get their campaign underway against Asian champions Sports Center I on Thursday.

Despite losing Italian star opposite Paola Egonu, the reigning European champions VakifBank still remain the favourites. They have so far collected four world titles (2013, 2017, 2018 and 2021) which have contributed towards a total of eight podium finishes. These results mean they have secured a place on the podium every time they have participated, that being all editions of the tournament since 2016.

Brazilian outside hitter Gabriela Guimaraes, USA’s middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu and Turkish duo of Zehra Gunes and Cansu Ozbay are some of the key players head coach Giovanni Guidetti will be banking on to clinch a historic fifth title.

Eczacibasi qualified for their seventh Club World Championship appearance as 2023 CEV Champions League runners-up. They will rely on Serbian opposite Tijana Boskovic and Canadian outside hitter Alexa Gray to reclaim the title they last won in 2016.

Tianjin Bohai Bank will be looking to reach the knockout stages in their third appearance at the Club World Championships with the support of the middle blocker Xinyue Yuan and outside hitter Yingying Li.

The two Brazilian clubs return to the competition for the fifth consecutive time, after participating together in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. In 2018, Minas made it to the podium with silver, their second, after 1992 when they had their debut in the competition.

Minas will rely on the experienced Brazilian middle blockers Caroline Gattaz and Thaisa Menezes to steer them to the podium this year.

Dentil Praia are after their first podium, with a 2018 fourth place as their best result so far.

Vietnam’s Sport Center I will hope to emulate the strong performance of Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds in the men’s edition this year, in their first-ever appearance at the Championship.

After three days of preliminary matches, the top two sides in each pool will advance to the semifinals set for Saturday.

The final and bronze medal match will be played on Sunday.

Bengaluru, Dec 10: Suntory Sunbirds of Japan fought back from two sets down to beat Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu 3-2 to win the Bronze Medal in the Volleyball Men’s Club World Championships here on Sunday.

Sunbirds, the first Japanese team to play in the Club World Championships, looked down and out after the first two sets. But they kept their nerves and showed the presence of mind to capitalise on their opponent’s mistakes to create history at the Kormangala Indoor stadium.

The Asian Champions won 17-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-12 with Russian Opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy playing a key role in the victory by scoring a total of 30 points.

Sunbirds, who had beaten the Turkish outfit 3-0 in their first group stage match on the opening day, struggled to find any co-ordination in the opening set and one wondered if the Japanese side had not really recovered physically and mentally from the 2-3 semi-final loss against Itambe Minas on Saturday night.

Sunbirds defence was completely out of sorts in the opening set and even skipper Masaki Oya’s setting wasn’t up to the mark. He failed to create enough spiking opportunities for Muserskiy and Cuban Outside Hitter Alain Junior.

In contrast, the attacking combination of Mert Matic, John Gordon Perrin and skipper Nimir Abdel-Aziz were clinical with their spikes as Halkbank raced through the opening set.

Sunbirds did find their feet in the second set and put up a better show. Muserskiy and Alain Junior were much more involved in the attack and that allowed the Japanese team to keep pace with their opponents till 23-23.

But Nimir then came up with a check-out to give his team their first set point and a quality double block ended Sunbirds resistance in the set.

 However, with the finish line just a set away, errors started to creep into Halkbank’s game and Sunbirds, who are also the Asian champions, were ready to grab that opportunity.

Muserskiy led Sunbirds’ charge with eight points and also helped with back-court defence to force the match in the fourth set.

Errors continued to hurt Halkbank in the fourth set as mistakes from Matic and Nimir gave Sunbirds early lead. Setter Micah Ma’a was also guilty of playing too many balls to Perrin in Zone 4 and the Japanese outfit read the situation well to take control of the set.

The decider was a battle of nerves and Sunbirds players had a more stable head on their shoulders. The Japanese team preferred to choose safety over winners on serves and created enough chances for Muserskiy, a former Olympic gold medallist, to breach the Halkbank defence.

It was Muserskiy who found the winner after Halkbank had saved two match points and left Halkbank players, who made a total of 43 errors in the match, wondering what they could have done differently after winning the first two sets.

The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.   

The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.     

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Bengaluru, Dec 9: Brazil’s Itambe Minas twice fought back from a set down to pack off Suntory Sunbirds of Japan and set up a summit clash against defending champions Sir Sicoma Perugia in the Volleyball Men’s Club World Championships here on Saturday.

Michael Sanchez (27 points) and Marcus Coelho (18 points) did the star turn for Minas in the fourth and fifth sets and the Brazilians kept their nerves to brush aside a late fightback from Sunbirds to win 22-25, 25-22, 28-30, 25-20, 17-15, converting their fourth match point.

Minas, who had finished fourth in the last edition, looked like they could once again be playing the third and fourth place play-off the second successive edition given the slew of errors from the team in the first two sets.

But the most successful Brazilian professional volleyball team found a different gear at the business end of the match to beat Sunbirds in front of a packed Koramangala Indoor Stadium.

India is hosting the prestigious club championships for the first time and volleyball fans were treated to a humdinger by Minas and Sunbirds, who will now face Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu for the bronze medal.

There was very little too choose between the two teams throughout the five sets as the lead oscillated depending on the which team could stitch together a series of points without making errors.

In the opening set, Minas and Sunbirds stayed neck and neck till 13-13. Sunbirds libero Soshi Fujinaka’s service receiving then ensured that the Japanese not only stayed alive in the point but also managed to turn the tables thanks to the quality spiking of their Russian Opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy.

Left-handed middle blocker Kenji Sato also scored valuable points to help his team grab the opening set.

However, Minas started the second set with more attacking intent but their below par serving held back their march till the second half of the set in which they made 8 of the 11 service errors in the first 20 points.

But Gustavo Orlando and Paulo da Silva found their mojo at the right time and it was the ace from the former that put the Brazilians ahead at 21-22 and then the latter wrapped things up to level the set scores.

The third set followed a similar pattern with Minas holding the upper hand. But the Brazilians could not covert two set points and though they managed to save four set points themselves, a lucky net chord put them on the brink.

However, with their backs to the wall, Minas raised their game with the likes of Renan Moralez, Paulo and Coelho creating openings with their big booming serves.

It looked like the Brazilians would race through the final set when they opened up a 12-9 lead and then earned two match points. But a Alain Junior spike and a strong defensive work from Muserskiy helped Sunbirds force the set into extra points.

It was Muserskiy who could not keep his spike down with Sunbirds facing a third match point and the Minas bench erupted in celebrations.

The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.  

The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.    

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Bengaluru, December 9th 2023: With the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 held in India for the first time in history, the people of Bengaluru have had the opportunity to witness the world’s finest volleyball players shine in their city. Ahmedabad Defenders are slotted in Pool A with the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped. 

Ahead of the much-anticipated five-day volleyball carnival at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium, representatives of all six teams and key organizers addressed a press conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Bengaluru.   

FIVB, Second Executive VP and CEV President, Mr. Aleksandar Boricic was of the opinion that there is massive untapped potential in Indian volleyball. “India is a huge country, one of the biggest in the world. There is enormous potential. We sincerely hope that this tournament creates a great deal of awareness and interest towards the sport in the country. There is no lack of skill in the country but if a team has to be able to make it to the top level, they need to have opportunities to compete with the best in the world. These players, who are among the best in the world, probably don’t have a count on the number of matches they’ve played and that’s really the best way to get to the highest possible level at this game,” he said. 

While Mr. Boricic said FIVB would be keen to assist India in developing the game, he remarked that many steps need to be taken within the country as well. “For volleyball to pick up in India, a number of things have to happen at different levels. You need to start finding top quality coaches, getting a good selection process in place and playing more and more tournaments to identify talents,” he said. “I do think there is a lot of opportunity over here and with initiative being taken from within the country in trying to push the sport and making it popular across the nation, FIVB is more than happy to lend a helping hand,” he added. 

“Right now, we are in Bengaluru and I’m sure there are a lot of cities that are very interested in our sport. Hopefully in the future, the game is also taken to all these cities and more and more people start to take up the sport,” he concluded.

Bengaluru, December 8: India’s Ahmedabad Defenders provided enough glimpses of their potential but defending champions Sir Sicoma Perugia of Italy proved too strong for the home team in the final Pool A round robin clash in the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships here on Friday. 

The first-ever Indian outfit to participate in the prestigious tournament rode on a strong home support and put up a strong fight against the mighty Italians but ended up on the losing side 0-3 (25-18, 25-19, 25-11) to end their campaign as the third best team in the Pool A. 

Perugia expectedly topped the Pool with two victories in two matches while Brazil’s Itambe Minas finished second with three points to book their semi-final spots. 

On Saturday, Perugia will face Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu while Minas take on Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds for a place in the final. 

The Defenders, who participated in the Club World Championships on home turf by virtue of being the RuPay Prime Volleyball League champions, were definitely the underdogs going into the must-win clash against Perugia, who boasted of the likes of star setter Simone Giannelli and Cuban Opposite Jesus Hererra. 

But instead of being cowed down by the occasion, the Defenders played to their strength with skipper Appavu Muthusamy looking to engage LM Manoj, Amit Balwan Singh and Ramaswamy Angamuthu into breaching the Perugia defence with his short sets. 

In the opening set, the home team managed to keep pace with their illustrious opponents till the first 12 points before the left-handed Hererra decided to step up and find winners at will. 

The Cuban scored a total of 16 points with another left-handed Outside Hitter Oleh Plotnytskyi supporting him well with nine points. The Italians were so confident about wrapping up the match in straight sets that coach Angelo Lorenzetti substituted Giannelli in the first set itself and gave setter Gregor Ropret some game time ahead of the knock-out stage.  

For the Indians Manoj top scored seven points with Angamuthu (6) and Amit (5) also impressing with their attacks. 

The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.   

The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.     

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Bengaluru, 8th December 2023 – Renowned Indian cricketer Prithvi Shaw was in attendance to witness the exhilarating competition at the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 here in Bengaluru today. Ahmedabad Defenders showcased their prowess on the court against the defending Champions, Sir Safety Perugia. The championships currently on-going in Bengaluru, delivered an exciting display of skill and sportsmanship.

Shaw, known for his exceptional cricketing abilities, is extending his support beyond the cricket field to back the Ahmedabad Defenders. His presence undoubtedly elevated the spirit of the team and inspired them to give their best performance.

“I’m thrilled to be here and lend my support to the Ahmedabad Defenders. Sports unite us, and I believe in cheering for excellence, regardless of the arena. I wish the team the very best and hope they make our country proud. This is an incredible opportunity for Indian Volleyball as the boys are playing against the best in the world and this will only help them gain more experience.” expressed Prithvi Shaw.

Fans and enthusiasts were excited to see Shaw grace the event with his presence. His attendance added an extra layer of excitement to an already anticipated championships.

——-

The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.  
 
The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.    
  
The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Bengaluru, 8^th December 2023: Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu came up with a solid overall performance to blank Sada Cruzeiro Volei of Brazil 3-0 in their last Pool B clash to reach the semi-finals of the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships here on Friday.

Playing in the prestigious competition for the first time, Halkbank needed three full points against one of the most successful teams in the Club World Championships and the Turkish League leaders showed why they are such a dangerous side when their Dutch skipper Abdel-Aziz Nimir, French Outside Hitter Earvin Ngapeth and Canadian Perrin John Gordon come to party at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium here.

India is hosting the Club World Championships for the first time and the fans were treated to some high-quality volleyball from the Turkish giants.

Ngapeth (15 points), Nimir (14) and Perrin (12) shared bulk of the load as Halkbank completed a 26-24, 25-18, 28-26 win in 85 minutes to kick-off celebrations in the Turkish camp.

Halkbank finished second in Pool B with three points behind another first-timers Suntory Sunbirds of Japan who had sealed their semi-final berth on Thursday after snatching a point during their 2-3 loss against Sada. They had defeated Halkbank 3-0 on the opening day of competition to finish with 4 points.

Halkbank’s only chance to make it to the last four stage depended on beating four-time champions Sada without conceding more than a set and the Turkish outfit started the match meaning business.

Nimir and Ngapeth were on target in the first three points but Sada kept pace with their opponents and were in lead for a major part of the opening set till Halkbank bagged three straight points to regain the advantage at 23-22.

Sada’s Cuban Outside Hitter Miguel Lopez kept them in the hunt with a quality spike but Dogukan Ulu came up with a drop to earn his team a second set point and Lopez sent his spike out to hand the advantage to Halkbank.

The Turkish side was clearly head and shoulders above their opponents in the second and third set as the trio of Nimir, Ngapeth and Perrin kept Sada on the backfoot with their powerful spikes and Ulu and setter Micah Ma’a came up with deceptive drops and some high-quality blocks to leave Sada stranded.

The Brazilians did throw everything at Halkbank in the third set and and saved five match points before a solid block from Perrin ended the error-ridden challenge of Sada.

The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.  

The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.    

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Bengaluru, Dec 7: Holders Sir Sicoma Perugia of Italy kicked-off their title defence of the men’s Volleyball Club World Championships with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Brazil’s Itambe Minas in their Pool A clash at the Koramangala indoor stadium here on Thursday.
 
The second Pool A clash was a battle between the powerful spikes of Minas’ Outside hitter Paulo da Silva and Opposite Michael Sanchez and the guile and defensive stability of Perugia with the latter coming on tops 25-18, 26-24, 25-22, in the first-ever Club World Championships being held in India.
 
Perugia’s victory means that the Italian outfit and Minas, who had defeated Prime Volleyball League champions Ahmedabad Defenders in their opening match, have three points each and should make it to the semi-finals unless the local outfit manages to pull off a miracle and beat the defending champions without dropping a set on Friday.
 
And the way Perugia outclassed Minas on Thursday, the Defenders will have their task cut out.
 
In the opening set, Silva and Sanchez scored 10 points among them for Minas but most of their efforts were undone by strong blocking from the Italians, who also came up with delectable drops and short setting from the centre to race ahead from 15-16 to 21-16 and never looked back.
 
The second set was a much closer affair with Minas holding the lead for the major part of the set. But as the set progressed, Perugia’s star setter Simone Giannelli started creating magic at the net and their outsider hitters Kamil Semeniuk and Oleh Plotnytskyi making the most of the short sets to flummox the opposition blockers.
 
Plotnytskyi, the 26-year-old Ukrainian, scored a couple of points with drops between the blockers and other Minas players while Giannelli and middle blocker Sebastian Sole continued to frustrate the Brazilians with their quality blocks to finally take a three-point lead at 20-17.
 
Minas changed tactics with a couple of substitutions and forced the set to go into extra points. But the Italians came up with another quality block on the second set point to march towards victory.
 
Perugia, who have registered eight wins in their nine SuperLega Credem Banca matches, then just tightened the noose in the third set when they opened up a 10-5 lead and Minas players started making unforced errors under pressure.
 
The Brazilian outfit threatened a late fightback when they reduced the deficit to 18-17 but Italians did just enough to ensure that there were no last-minute hiccups. Minas saved one of the three match points before Bryan Alves da Silva completely mishit the serve to end their misery after an hour and 18 minutes.
 
The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.  
 
The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.    
  
The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Matches for 8^th December 2023 –  
5.00 PM – Halkbank Vs Sada Cruzeiro Volei 
8.30 PM –  Ahmedabad Defenders Vs Sir Safety Peurgia

Bengaluru, Dec 7: Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds became the first team to book a semi-final berth in this edition of the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 despite four-time Champions Sada Cruzeiro Volei eking out a 3-2 win at the Koramangala Indoor stadium here on Thursday.

Sunbirds, playing in the prestigious competition for the first time, saved four match points in the third set and then forced a decider to assure themselves of one point from their second Pool B match and sealed their semi-final berth.

Sada also stayed in hunt for a spot in the knock-out stage as they regrouped in time to win their opening clash of the championship 25-21, 31-29, 28-30, 22-25, 15-12 and earn two valuable points.

According to the tournament format, a team winning by a margin of 3-2 earns three points while the losing outfit also bags a point for their effort.

As things stand in Pool B, Sunbirds now have four points while Sada will face Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu in a must-win clash on Friday.

Such an eventuality looked improbable till the business end of the third set between Sada and Sunbirds with the Brazilian outfit looking set to clinch the three points full points thanks to their superior spiking. However, Sunbirds kept their nerves when it mattered the most to earn a valuable point.

Sada, who have been unbeaten in their five Brazilian Superliga matches so far, looked comfortably placed in the third set, having won the first two, as they opened up a 14-10 advantage with a couple of quality blocks.

But Sunbirds, who had blanked Halkbank in their opening match, were not willing to throw in the towel just yet and levelled the scores at 22-22 with their Russian Opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy continuing to find gaps in the Brazilian defence. They then went on to save four match points before converting their second set point to finally get on the scoreboard.

With the momentum clearly shifting in Sunbirds favour, the Japanese outfit kept up the pressure over their more experienced opponents. A forced substitution of Alain Junior with all to play for at 13-12 also failed to slow then down as they earned three set points.

Sada saved one of them but Saatkamp’s next serve went long and Sunbirds expectedly celebrated their passage to the semi-finals.

Earlier, Sunbirds had started the match against Sada with two consecutive service errors in the opening set and though they raised their game thereafter, the Japanese side was always chasing the set.

Sada boasts of a strong attacking line up with Cuban outside hitter Miguel Lopez, Olympic champions Wallace de Souza and Lucas Saatkamp and Sunbirds knew that their chances of sealing the semi-final berth would depend on their blockers and defence.

Lopez was the most dominating spiker for Sada from the left scoring a total of eight points in the opening set and the support he got from Saatkamp and Batista Cledenilson Souza even forced Sunbirds coach Kota Yamamura to sacrifice the setter to have another blocker on the court.

This did help the Japanese side to close the gap by bagging three straight points at 18-21 but they could not stop Sada from taking the set.

Sunbirds showed a lot more purpose in the second set with outsider hitter Alain Junior from Cuba going for powerful spikes while the Russian Opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy opting to mixed things up with some clever placement. Coupled with a strong defensive showing by the entire team meant that Sada could never open up a gap of more than two points.

The Brazilians were also guilty of wasting six set points with four of them going abegging due to service errors. It finally took an ace by Saatkamp following a service error from Kenji Sato to wrap up the set for eventual winners.

But Sunbirds staged a dramatic comeback in the third and then forced a decider with the Brazilians clearly under pressure.

It was a battle of nerves in the decider with Sunbirds first opening up a 5-2 to lead only for Sada to win four straight points after taking a time-out to take the lead at 6-5.

The experience of Wallace, Lopez and the team then came to the fore as they wrapped up the set and the match.

 
The tournament will go on till 10^th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped. 
 
The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.   
 
The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.