Newly-crowned Thailand Volleyball League champions Idea Khonkaen will carry the Thai flag in Vietnam next week when they become the first club team to test their mettle at the Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship in Dac Lac City.
Idea Khonkaen finished a dismal fifth place in the previous season of the TVL, but came strong this year to emerge as eventual winners, having not lost once in their 14 home and away matches in the long-haul competition, which kicked off on November 3.
The Asian competition is held annually, with Tianjin Bridgestone capturing their fourth crown last year in Nakhon Ratchasima, for a total of six for China. Thailand, represented by the national squad under the Chang banner, finished third.
This year's edition, from April 29 to May 5, will mark the first time that Thailand are represented by a club team, not the national team.
Thailand's Idea Khonkaen join hosts Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Taiwan in Pool A, with teams from China, Japan, Iran and North Korea drawn in Pool B.
The pool round-robin preliminaries start on Monday, with Idea Khonkaew taking on hosts Vietnam in the curtain-raiser. The other opening-day matches see Kazakhstan play Taiwan, China meet Iran and North Korea challenge Japan.
The winning team will represent Asia against the world's best club teams in the FIVB World Women's Club Championship, to be held in Switzerland.
Idea Khonkaen, strengthened by national players Thapapaiphan Chaisri and Sonthaya Kaewbundit and three former nationals, including the 190cm-tall Utaiwan Kaensing and hard-hitting Em-orn Phanusit, will leave for Dac Lac City on Saturday.
"After winning our debut title in the Thailand Volleyball League, we are still training hard for the Asian Women's Club in Vietnam. We know we are representing the country in that meet," said Idea Khonkaen's head coach Banjong Sombat.
"As far as I know, China are the strongest team in the meet. To match them tactically and technically won't be easy. Our initial target is to make it to the final. However, a top-three finish in the Asian meet would be something to be proud of as this is our first time in the tough competition," he added.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/04/27/idea-khonkaen-carry-thai-hopes-to-vietnam/
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