Volleyball
NAKHON RATCHASIMA READY TO WELCOME TEAMS TO 2ND ASEAN GRAND PRIX WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL INVITATION AT CHARTCHAI HALL
The 5,000-seater gymnasium, once served as the competition site for 2018 Volleyball Nations League Preliminary Phase, will become the battle ground for the second edition from September 9 to11, 2022
Bangkok, Thailand, September 5, 2022 – After a successful inaugural ASEAN Grand Prix three years ago, Nakhon Ratchasima is ready to organise its second edition at Chartchai Hall inside the Chalerm Phrakiat Stadium between September 9 and 11, with Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and hosts Thailand back to renew rivalries.
The tournament is held with aims of promoting women’s volleyball in the region and helping each team sharpen their skill in order to achieve greater heights and make themselves well-prepared for future major competitions. Thailand, current world No.14, will make this three-day event tuneup matches in their final preparation for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Poland and Netherlands from September 23 to October 16, 2022.
The inaugural ASEAN Grand Prix in 2019 was split into two legs. Nakhon Ratchasima, a large province on the northeastern plateau and acting as a gateway to other provinces in the Northeast with an approximate distance of 259km from capital city Bangkok, hosted the first leg of the single round-robin tournament at Terminal Hall during September 20 and 22.
Hosts Thailand performed superbly to reign supreme, with Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam in second, third and fourth places respectively.
The second leg of the three-day competition took place in Santa Rosa, Philippines between October 4 and 6, with Thailand too strong for all challengers to capture their second title without dropping a single set to their rivals. The respective rankings remained unchanged with Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam in respective second, third and fourth places.
The second edition of the ASEAN Grand Prix is due to be held in Chartchai Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima from September 9 to 11. All four participating teams have already confirmed their arrival in the host province on September 7.
Chartchai Hall, the competition site for the second ASEAN Grand Prix Women’s Volleyball Invitation, has served for several major tournaments including the 2013 FIVB Girls U18 World Championship, the 2013 Asian Senior Women’s Championship, the 2018 AVC Cup for Women and the Volleyball Nations League Preliminary Phase in 2018.
To announce Thailand’s readiness for hosting the second ASEAN Grand Prix in Nakhon Ratchasima, the Thailand Volleyball Association held a press conference on September 1 at Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok, with TVA President Mr Somporn Chaibangyang presiding.
Also in attendance were Dr Supranee Guptasa, Manager of Thailand National Sports Development Fund, Nakhon Ratchasima Deputy Governor Mr Charin Thongsuk and Ms Praparnrat Chaichupruk, AVP Program Development & Commercial Operation, Channel One31. Thailand women’s national volleyball team players and the media including TV, newspaper and news online also joined the meeting.
In his speech, Mr Somporn said “Nakhon Ratchasima has been entrusted by TVA with hosting the three-day event again because the province has proven itself capable of hosting major events including the inaugural tournament in 2019. As the organisers, we have firmly set our sights on making the second ASEAN Grand Prix another success without the spread of the COVID-19. We will do our best to impress all participating teams and visitors and show the potential of Thailand through a significant success of hosting this event.”
Dr Supranee said, “The (Thailand) National Sports Development Fund has financially supported TVA in organising international volleyball tournaments with main aims of seeing Thailand show its capability to become leaders in international stage. The NSDF also sees an opportunity to push and support the sustainable development of volleyball at all levels, not only in ASEAN region, but also Asian, international and global levels. More importantly, as we support TVA in organising international tournaments, it’s an opportunity to stimulate economic growth by generating income in social enterprises and active traders in the competition area.”
On Nakhon Ratchasima’s preparations ahead of the matchdays, Deputy Governor Mr Charin said, “With great experience in organising several major competitions, we are convinced that we can host the second ASEAN Grand Prix to comply with rules and regulations set by AVC and FIVB. We get ready to welcome all participating teams and officials as always with hospitality and enthusiasm and make them feel like their second home. In addition, we’ve also prepared local officials and working staff to help on relevant preparation tasks, while the competition and training venues, boarding and lodging and transportation are also 100% ready for service.