Bangkok, Thailand, May 11, 2022 – Following the great success of the recent Asian Women’s Club Championship in Semey, Kazakhstan, AVC is very proud to announce its second event of the year, the 2022 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship, which is set to be held at the 12,000-seater Azadi Indoor Stadium in Tehran, Iran between May 14 and 20.
A total of eight club teams from six countries will test their mettle in the continent’s top-flight men’s club championship, vying for top honour and the lone berth up for grabs for the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship.
Suntory Sunbirds, champions from the 2020-21 Japanese V.League Division 1, Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC, the 2020-21 Thailand League winners, Iran A’s Tehran Peykan, runners-up at the 2021-22 Iran Volleyball Super League, and Iraq B’s South Gas Sports Club are in Pool A, while Pool B comprises Al-Rayyan Sports Club, winners at the 2021-22 Qatari Volleyball League and the 40th Arab Club Championship, Taraz VC from Kazakhstan, Iran B’s M. Shahdab Yazd, the 2021-22 Iranian Volleyball Super League champions, and Erbil Sport Club from Iraq A.
All participating teams will play pool round-robin preliminaries from May 14 to 16 and after that, will be classified to respective rankings up to their performances in the pool plays.
May 17 is the rest day. The championship resumes the following day in the highly-anticipated quarterfinals, with the Pool winners taking on the fourth-ranked side in the same pool and the second-ranked team pitted against the third-ranked side.
The four winning teams will progress to the semifinals, while the losers will be relegated to classification round for 5th-8th places.
In the previous 21 editions, Iran ruled the roost with 15 titles, followed by Korea (2) and Qatar, Kazakhstan, China and Chinese Taipei one apiece. The 2020 edition was earlier due to take place in Thailand, but eventually cancelled due to grave concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among 15 titles Iran have achieved since the tournament inception in 1999 in China, Paykan Tehran captured 7 titles (2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, Shahrdari Varamin claimed 2 in 2014 and 2019, Sarmayeh Bank Tehran took 2 on the trot in 2016 and 2017, Sanam Tehran (2004), Kalleh Mazandaran (2013), Khatam Ardakan (2018) and Foolad Sirjan (2021) claimed one apiece.
At the previous edition at Terminal 21 Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Foolad Sirjan underlined their supremacy over the top-tier championship after 3-1 rout of Qatar’s Al-Arabi in the final showdown, while Kazakhstan’s Burevestnik Almaty powered past hosts Nakhon Ratchasima QminC in straight sets to take home bronze medal.
This year, the Asian Men’s Club Championship promises action-packed thrillers as talented players have been signed to strengthen potential teams.
As Shahdab completed the signing of Donovan Dzavoronok, the 2.02cm Czech outside hitter who was instrumental in helping Vero Volley Monza of Italy win the 2021-2022 CEV Cup title, Paykan signed Earvin N’Gapeth, member of the Tokyo Olympics-gold-winning France national team, Nimir Abdel-Aziz, member of the Netherlands national team, world-class setter and former Iran captain Saeid Marouf and Mohammad Mousavi, who played for Fenerbahce in Turkey.
MATCH SCHEDULE
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