Bangkok, Thailand, April 7, 2008 – The Thailand Women’s National Team will leave for Turkey on April 8 for overseas training in preparation for the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan.

The Tokyo tournament through May 17-25 is also valid as the Asian Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament. A total of eight teams – hosts Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Dominican Republic, Poland, Puerto Rico and Serbia – will be pitted against one another to vie for the four Olympic berths awarded to the top three teams plus the best Asian side (even if the top three sides are Asian).

Supported by the “Sang Som Leads Thai Volleyball to the Olympics” project, the Thai team will undergo intensive training in Turkey and Israel between April 8 and 21.

Team Manager Kiartipong Ratchatakriangkrai has revealed that after two key players – Patcharee Sangmuang and Piyamas Koyjapoh – called it a day, three new talents have joined the Thai squad and, though inexperienced in international matches, the trio has been training with the team for a while.

Soon, the 12 squad players will soon be selected for the Japan trip. Three main players – setter Nussara Tomkom, Vilawan Apinyapong and Onuma Sittirak, all of them playing in international leagues in Europe, have already returned to Thailand to join team training. With the return to Thailand of this key trio, the Thai team are expected to improve their game against much stronger rivals during the World Olympic Qualification Tournament.

Two other hard attackers – Pluemjitr Thinkhao and Malika Kanthong,  who have been playing with the Konya Areri Club in the Turkish Volleyball League, will join the Thais upon their arrival in Turkey.

“We (staff coaches) have initially planned that our team can take on Turkey’s well-known clubs including Fenerbahce and Marmaris teams before we next travel to Tel Aviv on April 13 to play the Israeli national squad. We hope to take around 8-10 matches with teams from the two countries,” Kiartipong said.

After the completion of the tour in Turkey and Israel, the Thai team will return to train on home soil prior to leaving for Japan on May 7. There, the team will take on the Japanese Pioneer Rockets team and stay in Japan until the opening of the World Olympic Qualification Tournament on May 17.

Thailand and Dominican Republic will play in the curtain-raiser on May 17. The Thais take on South Korea the following day before meeting Puerto Rico on May 20. On May 21, Thailand will go up against Serbia, competing against Poland on May 23 and hosts Japan on May 24. They will play their final match against Kazakhstan on May 25.

The possible team line-up for the tournament is Rattanaporn Sanuanram, Kornvika Apinyapong, Saimai Pladsrichuay, Siriporn Suksaen, Pluemjit Thinkhao, Onuma Sitthirak, Naruemol Khan-an, Uthaiwan Kaensing, Vilawan Apinyapong, Amphon Hyapha, Nussara Tomkom, Malika Khanthong and libero Wanna Buakaew.