Asian teams prepare for
world challenge
July 15 - The rest of the world will be trying to break
Asia's stranglehold on the FIVB Girls' Under 18 World
Championship title when the ninth edition takes place later
this month.
Sixteen teams will be taking part in the biennial event,
which runs from July 23-31 in the former Portuguese enclave
of Macau on the southern tip of China.
Among them are the two-time defending champions China, who
won the 2001 event in Croatia and the 2003 championship in
Poland.
This time they will be on home ground, and surely the team
to beat for their 15 rivals.
The last time a non-Asian team won the title, in fact, was
in 1997, when Brazil claimed their first and only
championship at this level.
Japan triumphed in 1995 and 1999, but did not qualify in
2003 or for this month's championship. In their absence,
Chinese-Taipei, Korea and hosts Macau will be Asia's three
other representatives.
Macau are in Pool A with Argentina, Egypt and Croatia, while
China and Korea are together in Pool B with Ukraine and
Austria, the latter who will be making their debut in this
championship.
In contrast, Brazil have appeared in all eight previous
tournaments, and were third two years ago in Poland. Their
first-round opponents in Pool C are Russia, champions in
1989 (as the Soviet Union) and 1993, plus Puerto Rico and
Belarus.
Pool D is comprised of the United States, who were fourth in
2003, Italy, Chinese-Taipei and Tunisia, who will also be
making their tournament debut.
Although the World Grand Prix Final Round in Sendai, Japan,
is dominating the women's scene at the moment, the next
generation of talented female players will be keen to show
their potential in Macau.
With national teams rebuilding for the 2008 Olympic Games,
an eye-catching performance in the Girls' Under 18 World
Championship could be the first step on the road to Beijing.
So even if the title is out of range for some teams, there
will still be plenty to play for, for every player. |
