Volleyball

The national squad is divided into two teams, Việt Nam 1 and Việt Nam 2, to compete at the International Women's Volleyball Tournament, VTV Cup Ferroli, next week in Lào Cai Province. — Photo courtesy of VAC

HÀ NỘI — The annual International Women's Volleyball Tournament, VTV Cup Ferroli, will be back after three years promising 24 thrilling matches in Lào Cai Province.

In its 17th edition, the tournament which is one of the events of the Asian Volleyball Confederation will be held from August 19-26.

It will see the participation of seven teams: national teams of Australia, Mongolia, Việt Nam 1, Việt Nam 2, Kansai University of Japan, Suwon Club of South Korea and Choco Mucho Club of the Philippines.

"Back in action after the pandemic, the organisers have prepared well for the tournament to meet the demand of the national fans," said Đỗ Thanh Hải, deputy head of the Organising Board.

"Following the success of the previous competitions, we hope that this year's Cup will be competitive and strongly spread volleyball among the community."

Speaking at the press conference on Wednesday, the Volleyball Federation of Việt Nam (VFV) General Secretary Lê Trí Trường said that all foreign teams invited to the VTV Cup were strong and clubs came from developed volleyball hubs. Việt Nam's two teams worked hard to prepare for the competition.

The Video Challenge Eyes will be applied for the first time to support referees to ensure the fairness and competitiveness of games.

Teams will compete in round robin format with Việt Nam 1 playing Choco Mucho Club in the opening match on August 19.

The top two teams will advance to the final match while the third- and fourth-placed ones will vie for a bronze.

The champions will walk away with US$12,000, an increase of 20 per cent compared to the past events.

If the winner is a Vietnamese side, Ferroli's Rapido brand, the main sponsor of the tournament, will deliver an additional bonus of VNĐ400 million ($16,800) for the team.

The silver medallists will have $7,000. The bronze holders will enjoy $5,000.

The organisers also present bonuses to the fourth-place team, the team with the best fair-play spirit and consolation prizes. An award of $300 each is available for the best individual players and Miss Volleyball.

Deputy head of the Organising Board Giàng Thị Dung, vice chairwoman of the Lào Cai People's Committee, said the province was ready to welcome athletes and its gymnasium was available to receive up to 3,000 supporters each match. The local authorities built a plan to serve volleyball lovers during the eight-day event.

She said tickets will be sold online from August 16, pricing at VNĐ100,000 ($4.00) for the qualification stage and VNĐ120,000 ($5.00) for the final.

Organisers hold a press conference to announce the 17th VTV Cup Ferroli on August 19-26. — Photo courtesy of Usports

"The international volleyball tournament is one of the highlighted activities to celebrate the 65th year that late President Hồ Chí Minh visited Lào Cai and the 120th year of Sa Pa's tourism. It will be an opportunity for us to introduce our typical cultural aspects and beautiful sightseeing tours and scenic spots to local and foreign friends," said Dung.

"We have arranged tours to all seven teams. When in Lào Cai, they will climb up Mount Fansipan and discover the beautiful landscape of Y Tí, Bắc Hà and Sa Pa."

The tournament is jointly organised by the Việt Nam Television (VTV), the People's Committee of Lào Cai, the Việt Nam Volleyball Federation and the Usports Company. — VNS