Young Thai spikers handed tough draw for World C'ship

Hosts Thailand have been handed a tough draw for the FIVB Girls' U18 Volleyball World Championship from July 26 to August 4 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Thailand has hosted the biennial tournament of the world's top 16 teams twice, finishing fifth in 1997 in Chiang Mai and seventh in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2009.

Nakhon Ratchasima is again hosting this year, with yesterday's draw for the 20-team group phase placing hosts Thailand in Pool A along with European champs Poland, African-best Egypt, the U18 Pan-Am Cup winners Puerto Rico and world No 16 Tunisia.

Pool B has Asian powerhouses and three-time world champs China, Asian champs Japan, and Serbia, Argentina and Greece.

Brazil - also three-time world champions - line up in Pool C along with the USA, Dominican Republic, Algeria and Slovenia, while Italy joined title-holders Turkey, Peru, Mexico and Taiwan in Pool D.

Thailand and Egypt play the curtain-raiser on July 26 at Chartchai Gym. The top four teams in each group will advance to the knock-out second round.

"Two teams in our pool are Africans, who we can match in terms of quality and height. Pool B is perhaps the toughest draw. I'm confident that, playing at home and with lengthy preparation, we should cruise through to the second round," said Thailand's head coach Apichart Kongsawat.

"Before this world meet we will look to sharpen our skills against South American teams in an invitational tournament in Peru."

Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Vinai Buapradit confirmed the city's readiness for hosting the world's best junior teams.

"We are greatly honoured to host the World Championship and I would like to confirm that we are ready for the tournament," he said.

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