By Maryam Hessaby
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, September 29, 2021 – Coaches of the participating teams shared their outlook ahead of the competition on Wednesday after their registration in the preliminary inquiry of the 2021 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship between October 1 and 7, 2021.
Thanakit
Thanakit Inleang, Nakhon Ratchasima’s head coach: “We are targeting the first place. My club is from the host city and we finished second in the Thailand League but we are looking for a better place as champions. Our main rival is the other team of Thailand, Supreme Chonburi”.
Nataphon
Nataphon Srisamutnak, Supreme Chonburi’s head coach, “We finished third in the Thailand League. Most players in my team have gained international experiences. They are from the current and previous roasters of the Thailand national team. It’s almost five years that I have been coaching this team.
In 2017 and 2018, Supreme Chonburi had been crowned the Asian Club champions. In 2018, they participated in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship in China where they finished bottom in the prestigious tournament.
Marko
Serbian Gresic Marko, Altay’s head coach: “This is a very important competition for us. We are not happy with the situation created by the COVID-19, but we could see the organisers and all teams are thinking about that. We are hoping everything keeps on well as the health is the first priority. After that, we are thinking of the result and we have great ambition in this tournament. We know the other teams are very strong. We are going to play game by game to see.”
In 2018, Altay received an FIVB wildcard to participate in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship and is targeting to be crowned champions in Nakhon Ratchasima in order that they can experience participating in the World Championship by earning the lone berth.
“The expectation is to be able to advance to the Women’s Club World Championship. Altay is the Kazakhstan’s winner of last year’s Cup and Super Cup. We have nine national players in our team, in addition to one setter from Serbia, and one outside hitter from Ukraine,” Marko Said.
Yelena
Yelena Pavlova, Zhetyssu’s head coach: “We have been training for three months and we are completely ready to get the trophy. Altay, the other team of Kazakhstan is always very close rival of us”.
Yelena, the ex-captain of Kazakhstan national team, believes: “I have a very good team. Seventy percent of the players are new but they are all experienced. I have three foreign players from Russia, Senegal, and Azerbaijan along with four national players. One of my players is also a beach volleyball player and in good shape coming to help us.”
Hashemi
Maryam Sadat Hashemi, Saipa’s head coach: “It has been two years that we were away from the international arenas due to COVID-19. We have just met our rivals here and we do not know them very well. I have many experienced players and I expect them to try to be among the top four teams. I know many teams are coming with their national players and legionnaires. The level of the event is high and we will have tough matches ahead of us”.
Hashemi, who won the trophy in Iranian Super League with Saipa, believes: “we have to focus on the matches day by day. We could not get help from our legionnaires and they are now playing with their teams outside Iran and could not come to give us helping hand.”
Mamon
Odjie Mamon, Choco Mucho’s head coach: “All of my players are national players. Actually Rebisco, the other Philippine’s team is from the same company as ours. We are stronger individually but as a team we had less time to prepare. It has been long time that the team was laid off as we finished the professional league last August and we had no chance to play”.
Edson
Jorge Edson, Rebisco’s head coach: “my team is presenting their country as all of them are national players. There are a lot of good players. The experienced ones are like the mentor to my younger players and I like this balance in my team”.
The Brazilian head coach of Rebisco is willing to see players enjoy from their matches than thinking of the result, “I started with this team since July and I expect them to enjoy their plays here after a long time without playing. They are the young players of the national team of Philippines.”
Pool play starts on Friday, October 1 at the Terminal 21 Hall. Seven teams are set to strut their stuff in the 21st Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, vying for the lone Asian spot on offer in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship in Turkey.
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