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South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Women's Nations League volleyball: players praise Kai Tak Arena but will miss Coliseum
Players at the FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Arena have praised the new venue, saying the bigger and better facilities allowed for the best possible preparation, but they also said the memories forged at the event's former home would not be easily forgotten. The Volleyball Nations League Hong Kong 2025 presented by China Life kicked off on Wednesday at Kai Tak Arena, marking the first time it has not been held in the Coliseum since it came to the city in 2018. On Thursday, Paris Olympic champions Italy beat Thailand 3-0 to reclaim their position at the top of the league, before China emerged victorious with a 3-2 win over Bulgaria. 'Both venues are beautiful,' said Italy's outside hitter Alice Degradi. 'But I have very beautiful memories from the Coliseum, because we were losing 2-1 against China [in 2023], and when we beat them, we qualified for the finals. 'I have that place in my heart, we have good memories there, but we want to create new ones here.' Thailand's Ajcharaporn Kongyot (left) said Kai Tak was a more comfortable venue. Photo: Panda/Takumi Images. However, Degradi said that in terms of the facilities on offer to the elite players, Kai Tak was the clear winner, a view echoed by her Thai counterpart, Ajcharaporn Kongyot.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Women's Nations League volleyball: Japan recover from 2 sets down to beat Thailand 3-2
Japan continued their dominance of the FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League on Wednesday, coming back from two sets down to beat Thailand 3-2 at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Arena and move to the top of the tournament rankings. Before their Hong Kong campaign got under way, world No 5 Japan had a flawless week in Ottawa, Canada, at the beginning of June, winning all four of their games without dropping a set. But they were made to work for their victory this time around, as world No 14 Thailand came close to pulling off an upset against Asia's highest-ranked side. 'Congratulations to the Japanese team, they showed high spirit and high performance at a world-class level,' said Thailand head coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai. 'We learned a lot from them, especially in defence and attack.' World No 14 team Thailand won the first two sets 25-18, 25-23. Photo: Panda/Takumi Images. Thailand capitalised on a series of errors by their Asian counterparts to win the first two sets 25-18, 25-23. In the past four meetings between the two countries, Thailand had failed to win a single set.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Indian spikers in race against time before Asian Games
The Indian contingent after the silver-medal finish at the CAVA Nations League CHENNAI: Indian volleyball is not in the best shape. Issues on the administrative front have severely impacted the growth of the men's team, which appeared to be on the rise with a sixth-place finish at the Hangzhou Asian Games two years ago. India were forced to disappear from the international scene after that, before returning to action at the recent CAVA Nations League in Uzbekistan. Despite all odds, they remarkably secured the silver medal in the zonal tournament. Having masterminded India's second-place finish, head coach Dragan Mihailovic said that the team can break into the top-25 with good exposure. India, whose name did not feature on the FIVB ranking list ahead of the Nations League, are currently placed 52nd in the chart. '100%, it is logical that we can do much better with more matches. India have the potential and can be in the top-25 in the world,' Dragan told TOI. The players were involved in only a few top-level club tournaments between the Asian Games and Nations League – Club World Championships and Prime Volleyball League. With the next Asian Games about a year away, India are racing against time. 'The recipe for success is very simple. We have to keep the national-team players together for a longer duration and give them the opportunity to play more official and friendly matches. The biggest difference between India and the top Asian teams is international exposure. They play between 50 to 75 matches every year. To get there, India may need five to 10 years!' Dragan was 'pleasantly surprised' with the way the players, who were starved of game time at the international level, approached the Nations League. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indian Truck Driver Now Earns ₹2.9 Crore Monthly (See how) prestigetrophy Learn More Undo 'Every one of them showed a professional attitude, right from the time we began our preparation to the time we returned to India. The support staff worked hard to ensure the players delivered their maximum,' said Dragan. Asked how India managed to make it to the podium, Dragan replied: 'We did not have a lot of time to prepare, so the complete focus was on how we were going to fit the players into our systems. We knew that if all the players understood and accepted the systems and respected them during matches, we would be able to perform well.' 'Video analysis key in modern volleyball' Dragan stressed on the importance of technology in modern volleyball. Recently, A Muthusamy and Jerome Vinith, members of India's Nations League squad, were all praise for the chief coach's methods, saying that he lent a 'new perspective'. 'Video analysis is a significant tool. We want to provide our players with an opportunity to stay in the same situation as the players in the world's best teams. With video analysis and a specialised programme, we enable the players to better understand their performances and the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents,' said Dragan.
GMA Network
14-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Alas Pilipinas rises to no. 46 in FIVB women's world rankings
Alas Pilipinas on Saturday rose to no. 46 in the FIVB women's world rankings. Before the AVC Nations Cup, the women's national volleyball team was at no. 56. According to Asian Volleyball Confederation head and Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon 'Tats' Suzara, the past three years have shown that the program is working for the national team. 'The past three years was all upward for our national program in all disciplines—volleyball and beach—thanks to the support of our stakeholders," Suzara said in a statement. Last year, Alas claimed bronze in the AVC Challenge Cup, and now the Philippines has a chance for the gold medal in the same but rebranded tournament AVC Nations Cup. "Last year, our best brought us to the bronze, and this time, it's going to bring us to higher heights,' Alas Pilipinas team captain Jia De Guzman said. 'So we're just going to bring our best again—and no matter what, this is for the country.' Alas will take on Vietnam in the finals on Saturday night. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
13-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Alas Pilipinas vows to be better as FIVB Men's Championship nears, says Frigoni
With less than 100 days to go before the FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship here in the country, Alas Pilipinas Men head coach Angiolino Frigoni vowed that the team will do its best to prepare for the tournament. The Philippines will hold the global championship from September 12 to 28. 'I don't know if we have enough time,' Frigoni said on the sidelines of the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals on Thursday. 'We will do our best to be good there.' The men's national team is coming off an impressive run in the Invitationals as they swept all three teams: Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, Hyundai Capital Skywalkers of South Korea, and the Thailand national team. "[In] the three matches, we had bad moments,' he said. 'But we didn't give up. We stayed there and we played, and that is what I like," Frigoni said. In the men's championship, however, the world no. 59 Philippines will take on world no. 16 Iran, world no. 22 Egypt, and world no. 39 Tunisia in the preliminary round. Frigoni also hopes the Filipino fans to cheer on the national team come the world championship. "Please cheer for the Philippines because we need your help." —JKC, GMA Integrated News
