Bangkok, Thailand, March 6, 2016 – Reigning champions Chinese Taipei will open their title defence campaign against Indonesia in the SMM 2016 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship, due to be held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from August 23-31, 2016 following the draw of lots on Sunday.

The ceremony was held on the second day of the AVC Sports Events Council Meeting at the Dusit Princess Srinakharin Hotel in Bangkok for draw of lots for three AVC tournaments to be held later this year including the Asian Men’s Club Championship.

AVC Secretary-General Shanrit Wongprasert, Dr Eom Han-Joo, chairman of the AVC Sports Events Council, and SEC secretary-general Jaksuwan Tocharoen jointly conducted the draw of lots on Sunday.

In the 2016 Asian Men’s Club Championship, hosts Myanmar have been drawn in Pool A with Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, with Pool B consisting of title-holders Chinese Taipei, Iraq, Indonesia and Japan. Pool C comprises Qatar, the team finishing second in the previous edition in Chinese Taipei, China, Thailand and the UAE, while powerhouses Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Hong Kong are in Pool D.

On the opening day of the top-flight competition, Vietnam take on Turkmenistan, Myanmar play Saudi Arabia, Indonesia challenge Chinese Taipei, Japan take on Iraq. The other four matches see the UAE pitted against China, Qatar take on Thailand, Malaysia meet Hong Kong and Iran play Kazakhstan.

After the pool round-robin preliminaries, only top two teams from each pool will be divided into Pool E and F and will contest the round robin. However, the teams which play each other in the preliminaries will not play again, but their first-round results will be taken into ranking consideration.

In the SMM 18th Asian Men’s U20 Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Koahsiung, Chinese Taipei from July 9-17, 2016, defending champions Iran have been drawn in Pool B with Qatar, a team from Central Zone and Hong Kong. Hosts Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Kazakhstan and Myanmar are in Pool A. Pool C comprises China, Japan, India and a team from Western Zone, while Korea, Bahrain, Sri Lanka and Australia are in Pool D.

Hosts Chine Taipei will open their campaign against Myanmar on July 9, while Thailand take on Kazakhstan, Qatar play Hong Kong, Ian meet a team from Central Zone, India face Japan, China will test their mettle against a team from Western Zone, Korea take on Bahrain and Australia will be pitted against Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, hosts Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam have been drawn in Pool A in the SMM 2016 Asian Est Cola Women’s U19 Championship, which will be held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand between July 23 and 31.

Pool B features defending champions China, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Pool C comprises Japan, the team finishing second in the previous edition, India, Macao and Iran, with Korea, Chinese Taipei, Australia and the Philippines in Pool D.

Hosts Thailand set up the curtain-raisers against Vietnam on July 23, with Hong Kong taking on Kazakhstan, New Zealand challenging China, Macao playing India, Iran taking on Japan, Korea facing the Philippines and Chinese Taipei strutting their stuff against Australia.

Like the 2016 Asian Men’s Club Championship and the Asian Men’s U20 Championship, the Asian Women’s U19 Championship sees top two teams from each pool after the pool round-robin preliminaries divided to Pool E and Pool F,  playing in the round robin. The teams which play each other in the preliminaries  will not meet again, but their first-round results will  be taken into ranking consideration.