After six thrilling days of women’s matches, the men’s teams are set to take the court, with Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba competing on the opening day.
Iran is scheduled to meet Serbia in its opening match early Thursday.
Host country Brazil, along with Argentina, Cuba, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, and Serbia, will play in Pool 2 from Tuesday to Sunday, each team participating in four matches. Key opening day clashes include Argentina vs. Japan and Cuba vs. Brazil. While Japan has already secured its Olympic spot, Argentina’s qualification will depend on its performance in the VNL Preliminary Phase.
Simultaneously, the Turkish city of Antalya will host Pool 1 matches, starting with Bulgaria vs. France. Matches from this Pool will have impact on the final lineup for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Among the competing teams, Canada, Poland, the United States, and France have already qualified, while Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Turkey are still vying for the remaining Olympic spots.
As the VNL unfolds, the results in Rio and Antalya will impact the race for Olympic qualification, adding extra intensity to every match, worldofvolley.com reported.