Volleyball

AVC Challenge Cup champions Việt Nam aim high at what will be their second time competing at FIVB Challenger Cup 2024, July 4-7 in Manila. VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI -- Việt Nam will play the hosts in the opening match of the FIVB Challenger Cup 2024 which will open July 4 in the Philippines.

Việt Nam cruised into the world tournament after defending their title at the AVC Challenge Cup in May.

The Cup will be the fifth and final edition of the FIVB Women's Volleyball Challenger Cup, an annual women's international volleyball tournament contested by eight national teams. Acting as a qualifier for the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the tournament will be held at 6,000-seat Ninoy Aquino Stadium between July 4 and 7.

The tournament will be in a knock-out format, quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the final.

The Philippines will play its quarter-final match against the lowest ranked team, Việt Nam, No 34. The remaining six teams are placed from second to seventh positions as per the FIVB World Ranking as of June 17.

In the other matches, No 13 Belgium will play No 24 Sweden, No 15 Puerto Rico will see No 20 Kenya and No 16 the Czech Republic, who will face No 17 Argentina.

In preparation for the tournament, coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt kept his 14-player line-up that triumphed at the AVC Challenge Cup, also in Manila.

They just completed an intensive training course in Vĩnh Phúc Province's Tam Đảo area and are now practising in Quảng Ninh, which hosted volleyball event of the 31st SEA Games in 2021.

Kiệt said the Quảng Ninh training course was really important for his players where they would improve their physique and sharpen their skills, before moving to the Philippines.

In the upcoming event, Kiệt will have his captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy back in action, after an injury prevented her from performing at the AVC Challenge Cup.

The most successful national player, who will compete in the Turkish tournament in August, is expected to strengthen Kiệt's attacking force and help the Vietnamese advance further in this year's tournament.

In addition to Thúy, AVC Challenge Cup's Most Valuable Player Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền promised to continue shine at her first appearance at the FIVB Women's Volleyball Challenger Cup.

"I hope that Việt Nam can play well at this competition and go as far as possible, " said Tuyền." I also hope that we will get strong support from home fans."

In addition to claiming bragging rights, the champions will also qualify for the 2025 VNL 2025, set to be held from June 2 to July 27 and the 2025 world volleyball championship from August 22 to September 7.

Last year, Việt Nam qualified for the FIVB Challenger Cup for the first time, but the team were defeated 0-3 by host France in the opening match. VNS