Tokyo 2020 Qualification rules

    The pools for the intercontinental tournament are officially confirmed:


    Pool A: Brazil, Egypt, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico


    Pool B: USA, Belgium, Netherlands, Korea


    Pool C: Italy, Serbia, Australia, Cameroon


    Pool D: Poland, France, Slovenia, Tunisia


    Pool E: Russia, Iran, Cuba, Mexico


    Pool F: Canada, Argentina, Finland, China


    CEV also released info on their continental tournament:


    "The last stage of the Olympic qualification process will then follow in January 2020 with the continental phase involving eight teams per gender, i.e. the seven best from the European Ranking released after EuroVolley 2019 and not yet qualified for Tokyo 2020 plus the eventual organisers of the respective tournaments."






    Quote from ojVolley

    I hope FIVB would accept 14 athletes roster in Olympics first, 12 athletes of Olympic team doesn't make any sense.

    It hurts for the liberos most but 12 player roster is enough in my opinion as it shows only the best of the best are called for the olympics.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Quote from Rains

    It hurts for the liberos most but 12 player roster is enough in my opinion as it shows only the best of the best are called for the olympics.

    don't agree


    12 athletes roster doesn't hurt the liberos, it hurts the whole team.


    I agree Olympics should demonstrates the best of the best and present the highest level of volleyball, hence players should be cut off because of their skill and level not the size of the team.


    14 athletes roster is the normal volleyball team roster. let's hypothesise 12 players roster (4 OH, 2 OP, 3 MB, 1 L, 2 S) if one middle block get injured, there is no one can substitute anymore. You can do nothing but pray. That doesn't demonstrate the highest level of one country's volleyball, that's ridiculous.

    January 31 is the deadline for national federations to apply for the rights to host the various Olympic qualifiers. According to the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Brazil declined the application. Bulgaria will try to take advantage of the situation and had prepared an application. They declared Varna and Ruse (FIVB need to choose eventually) as hosts.


    My opinion towards our federation spending taxpayers' money in favour of hosting a simple event, or what is even worse - a short 4-team tournament, when conditions in the youth and junior sector are far from normal, is pretty clear and hasn't changed a bit. From a sports perspective, however, this is perhaps Bulgaria's only realisitic chance of reaching the 2020 Games - by playing in a do-or-die match vs. Brazil at home. But let's see which federation will apply and what FIVB will decide.

    Quote from YavorD

    January 31 is the deadline for national federations to apply for the rights to host the various Olympic qualifiers. According to the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Brazil declined the application. Bulgaria will try to take advantage of the situation and had prepared an application. They declared Varna and Ruse (FIVB need to choose eventually) as hosts.


    My opinion towards our federation spending taxpayers' money in favour of hosting a simple event, or what is even worse - a short 4-team tournament, when conditions in the youth and junior sector are far from normal, is pretty clear and hasn't changed a bit. From a sports perspective, however, this is perhaps Bulgaria's only realisitic chance of reaching the 2020 Games - by playing in a do-or-die match vs. Brazil at home. But let's see which federation will apply and what FIVB will decide.

    Of course you have the first-hand information and good understanding about the actual condition in Bulgaria. As an outsider, if the volleyball federation of Bulgaria burns taxpayers' money to host an event, I'd rather it be this short, Olympic qualification tournament, instead of hosting World League or ECH. My thought is from the perspective of the importance of participating in the Olympics (media coverage and public attention apart from the result itself) and the lower cost to host a short tournament.

    Quote from andrea

    Of course you have the first-hand information and good understanding about the actual condition in Bulgaria. As an outsider, if the volleyball federation of Bulgaria burns taxpayers' money to host an event, I'd rather it be this short, Olympic qualification tournament, instead of hosting World League or ECH. My thought is from the perspective of the importance of participating in the Olympics (media coverage and public attention apart from the result itself) and the lower cost to host a short tournament.

    As a matter of fact, the federation which want to host the qualification needs to pay at least half of million to FIVB.


    It's a burden to most of the federations. And that's the reason why seldom countries to apply it.

    Quote from andrea

    Of course you have the first-hand information and good understanding about the actual condition in Bulgaria. As an outsider, if the volleyball federation of Bulgaria burns taxpayers' money to host an event, I'd rather it be this short, Olympic qualification tournament, instead of hosting World League or ECH. My thought is from the perspective of the importance of participating in the Olympics (media coverage and public attention apart from the result itself) and the lower cost to host a short tournament.

    I don't want to go off-topic and dig much deeper, but will just write a few lines regarding my concerns. I don't mind spending some money in general for a 3-day event. The problem is THAT particular federation (notorious for a lot of things, part of the accusations were finally introduced publicly by Stoychev and Kaziyski in 2012) steals a fat portion of the money they receive for the organization (don't even get me started on the Gatsby-like party they threw at the end of 2018 after the WCH). By hosting those events, they unofficially make propaganda and strive to take credit for a number of things. Yes, Bulgaria might increase their chances of going to Tokyo this way, but to me, the 2018 WCH and the 2015 ECH held a much greater social benefit for the youth/public. Even if we qualify to the 2020 Olympics, they won't be held at home, we barely have chances to achieve something great, and overall won't ignite Bulgarians as much as actually seeing the best volleyball players live in Bulgaria. This is the problem I have from a sports perspective only. If you see the conditions many of the volleyball schools have to play in, or even some professional clubs, you would know why this is a freaking waste of money which could've been appreciated elsewhere. Most people would rather neglect the Olympics participation for a better-functioning system in the first place, as it will guarantee development and future for Bulgarian volleyball instead of a glamorous showdown before the ship sinks.


    This is why I got very upset and disappointed when Silvano Prandi, the much respected man who became a victim of this very same federation, somehow agreed to be in charge of the NT again...


    Let's see what FIVB will have decided by the end of the week.

    These are Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Russia, and China for the men. 5 international qualifiers in Europe, 1 in China. Let's see if Europe will manage to grab more Olympic berths this time.

    Quote from ojVolley

    As a matter of fact, the federation which want to host the qualification needs to pay at least half of million to FIVB.


    It's a burden to most of the federations. And that's the reason why seldom countries to apply it.

    Yes, but I recall the federation of each participating country of World League also needed to pay a similar amount of money.

    Quote from YavorD

    I don't want to go off-topic and dig much deeper, but will just write a few lines regarding my concerns. I don't mind spending some money in general for a 3-day event. The problem is THAT particular federation (notorious for a lot of things, part of the accusations were finally introduced publicly by Stoychev and Kaziyski in 2012) steals a fat portion of the money they receive for the organization (don't even get me started on the Gatsby-like party they threw at the end of 2018 after the WCH). By hosting those events, they unofficially make propaganda and strive to take credit for a number of things. Yes, Bulgaria might increase their chances of going to Tokyo this way, but to me, the 2018 WCH and the 2015 ECH held a much greater social benefit for the youth/public. Even if we qualify to the 2020 Olympics, they won't be held at home, we barely have chances to achieve something great, and overall won't ignite Bulgarians as much as actually seeing the best volleyball players live in Bulgaria. This is the problem I have from a sports perspective only. If you see the conditions many of the volleyball schools have to play in, or even some professional clubs, you would know why this is a freaking waste of money which could've been appreciated elsewhere. Most people would rather neglect the Olympics participation for a better-functioning system in the first place, as it will guarantee development and future for Bulgarian volleyball instead of a glamorous showdown before the ship sinks.


    This is why I got very upset and disappointed when Silvano Prandi, the much respected man who became a victim of this very same federation, somehow agreed to be in charge of the NT again...


    Let's see what FIVB will have decided by the end of the week.

    Would like to know more about the Gatsby-like party... :-)


    You mean Prandi is likely to coach the NT now?


    I understand you care about the sustainability of Bulgarian volleyball. All in all, the corruption of the federation has nothing to do with the players who choose this sport out of their passion. Prandi may bring this team to a better level.

    Quote from andrea

    Would like to know more about the Gatsby-like party... :-)


    You mean Prandi is likely to coach the NT now?


    I understand you care about the sustainability of Bulgarian volleyball. All in all, the corruption of the federation has nothing to do with the players who choose this sport out of their passion. Prandi may bring this team to a better level.

    This is not true! Do you know how many players became victims of this very same federation? How many were forced to quit volleyball or haven't developed well enough because of ludicrous contracts (with clubs directly and the federation indirectly, binding them for life), inadequate but "appropriate" coaches, favorable players, or unacceptable sports conditions? It has a lot to do with the federation's business. Pity that even those in the current NT didn't support the boycott of 2012. Instead, they remained silent and some have declined NT invitations over the years in one way or another.


    Prandi is officially Bulgaria's new head coach. This was made public at the start of 2019 or at the end of 2018, I don't remember. He will help the NT, of course. The same way he did back in 2008-2010 (to me, the best volleyball Bulgaria ever played). But this will be his second tenure at the NT and I wish he had the decency and self-respect not to sign with the same federation which fired him unfairly for dubious reasons and Prandi had to hear it from friends and journalists, not in person. The so-called Prandi scheme, as it remains for the archives, was used to get rid of Stoychev afterwards, too.

    What I like about the qualification process this time, unlike the notorious distribution in 2015-2016 for the Rio Games, is 1) most teams, or at least those in the top tiers of the ranking, will have 2 chances/tournaments to qualify, and 2) the intercontinental rounds, a.k.a. the first opportunity, are scheduled in August, that is the middle or towards the end of the NT season. Where teams will have had enough time to prepare well. The continental rounds in January will suck, of course, because then coaches won't be able to do much else but hope their players are in shape and somehow work it together.


    It remains problematic for a team like Germany, of course, which, too, deserves 2 chances but is ranked only 27th right now. And continental championships are no longer part of the World ranking...