For the 5th time in a row, Italian club team, Trentino Volley, will compete at the 2013 FIVB Club World Championships.
Following Iranian club Kalleh’s win over Al-Rayyan of Qatar in the final of the 2013 Asian Men’s Club Championship in Tehran on Monday, three out of the eight vacancies for the FIVB Men’s Club World Championship, which will be held in Brazil from October 15 to 20, have now been filled.
Russia’s Lokomotiv Novosibirsk were the first team to qualify when they triumphed in the CEV Champions League in March.
Sfax of Tunisia sealed their spot in the finals after winning the gold medal at the 2013 Men’s African Club Championship on April 27.
Both Kalleh and Lokomotiv will be making their debuts in the FIVB Men’s Club World Championship, which first started in 1989, ran annually until 1992 and then restarted again in 2009.
Italian club Trentino, who finished eighth in this year’s European Champions League, qualify also as defending champions. Trentino have become Club World Championship legends having won the men’s title for the last four years, continuing the outstanding tradition of Italian volleyball which has seen Italian clubs win all eight men’s world titles.
As hosts, two Brazilian clubs are guaranteed a place in the Championships although which clubs will only be determined once the organisers are decided.
The South American representative will be determined on May 12 after five days of competition in the South American Championship in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.
Meanwhile, the NORCECA representative will be appointed by the confederation since NORCECA does not have a continental club competition.
The Women’s Club World Championship will take place in Zurich, Switzerland, from October 8 to 13 with six teams participating.
Africa’s Kenya Prisons, Vakifbank Istanbul from Europe have qualified to date, joining hosts Volero of Zurich. The qualifiers in South America and Asia will take place in May with NORCECA making an appointment.
Goodbye Doha, Qatar!
In case you didn’t know, tje FIVB also revealed almost 2 weeks ago the new hosts of the annual men’s and women’s volleyball event.
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) is pleased to announce that Switzerland and Brazil have been confirmed as hosts of the FIVB Women’s and Men’s Club World Championship tournaments for the next three years respectively.
Zurich will become the first Swiss city to host an FIVB volleyball event when they welcome six (one from each continent and the organiser) of the world’s premier clubs from October 8 to 13 later this year while the host city in Brazil for the men’s competition running from October 15 to 20 will be confirmed in a month’s time. The composition of the men’s competition is also still to be confirmed.
It is the first time the FIVB Club World Championships have been held in two different cities.
“I’m very proud to be able to confirm this exciting change to the FIVB volleyball calendar,” FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° said. “Two strong countries, one with outstanding volleyball pedigree, the other the home of the FIVB, hosting the FIVB Club World Championships it will make for an exciting competition.”
The FIVB Club World Championships will be held in the month of May in 2014 and 2015.
Europe’s Vakifbank Istanbul and Lokomotiv Novosibirsk are the only clubs to have qualified so far for the 2013 edition having won the women’s and men’s CEV Champions League respectively in March. Meanwhile the Africa Women’s Club Championships will be completed on Friday prior to the men’s competition. The other confederations sees Asia hosting two tournaments – one in Dac Lac City, Vietnam for women from April 27 to May 5 and another in Tehran, Iran from April 21 to 29 while NORCECA and South America are still to confirm their selection procedures.
Doha, Qatar had been the traditional host of the FIVB Club World Championships from 2009 to 2012 with the Men’s Club World Championship having previously run from 1989 to 1992 while the women’s edition went from 1991 to 1994.
(source & images: FIVB)