October 17, 2013
FIVB World Grand Champions Cup Volleyball
The world’s best are set to compete in Japan
By Metropolis
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2013
More great volleyball is heading to Japan in November when Nagoya, Kyoto and Tokyo host the Fedération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) World Grand Champions Cup. The women’s tournament will run from November 12-17, while the men’s takes place November 19-24. The first two days of the women’s tournament will be in Nagoya, while the first two days of the men’s competition will be in Kyoto. For both the men and the women, the third day is a rest day and the final three days of the tourney will be held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The World Grand Champions Cup features a total of six men’s teams and six women’s teams, with host Japan being joined by the continental winners from Asia, Europe, NORCECA and South America, along with an additional “wild card.” Africa does not have an automatic spot in the tournament after finishing the 2012 Olympic Games as the lowest-ranked confederation. The World Grand Champions Cup is a round-robin tournament, meaning all the teams will play all the other teams.
The competition started in 1993, with Italy winning the first men’s tournament, followed by Brazil, Cuba, Brazil and Brazil once again. Unlike the men’s competition, the women have produced a different winner every time: Cuba (1993), Russia, China, Brazil and Italy. Japan has earned just two medals, both bronze. The men took the bronze medal in 2009 and the women in 2001.
Women
As far as volleyball in Japan goes, the women rule. Just over a year ago, the Japan women’s volleyball team clinched the bronze medal at the London Olympic Games, defeating arch-rival South Korea 3-0 in the third-place playoff and earning their first Olympic medal since 1984. Brazil defeated USA in the final to retain the title it won in Beijing in 2008. But a number of Japan’s veteran players have retired since London, notably the team’s two leaders, setter Yoshie Takeshita—one of Japan’s finest ever athletes—and captain Erika Araki. Coach Masayoshi Manabe has already started revamping the team and Japan finished fourth in this year’s World Grand Prix under new captain Saori Kimura, the undisputed darling of Japanese volleyball.
All three Olympic medalists will be taking part in the World Grand Champions Cup as Brazil is the South American Champion and the Americans are champions of North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA).
Russia qualifies as European champions and two very strong Asian teams take up the remaining slots. Japan qualify as host of the tournament, with Thailand in as Asian champion, having surprisingly beaten Japan in the Women’s Asian Championship final in September. The final “wild card” slot hadn’t been determined at the time of writing.
Men
While the Japan men’s team has struggled to match the success of the women’s team, it still plays at a high standard and attracts plenty of fans, particularly female fans. The team was given a boost this year with the recruitment of American Gary Sato as coach. While Japan may have finished with just three wins (against seven losses) in this year’s FIVB World League, it was a three-win improvement on last year and the team was only whitewashed in one match, showing that it’s on the way up.
Joining Japan in the six-team event will be South American champion Brazil, NORCECA champion the United States, European champion Russia and Asian champion Iran. A sixth “wild card” team will be added later. Russia beat Brazil in a dramatic final at the London Olympics after losing the first two sets, while Iran scored a convincing victory over South Korea in this year’s Asian Championship final on October 6. Japan finished fourth after losing to China in the bronze-medal playoff.
