Last week, both Korea`s women`s volleyball team and Egypt`s U18 boys` team, supported by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, secured medals in their respective regional championships, showcasing the program`s global impact.
U18 Boys’ Arab Volleyball Championship
Egypt, a beneficiary of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, clinched the gold medal at the U18 Boys’ Arab Volleyball Championship, which concluded last week in Amman, Jordan. Bahrain earned silver, and Libya secured bronze, completing the podium.
The Egyptian Volleyball Federation has received significant support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, totaling USD 451,500 for national team coach assistance and an additional USD 6,000 for a coach development knowledge transfer program. Brazilian coach Percy Oncken is currently working with Egypt’s age-group men’s national teams.
Egypt dominated the U18 Boys’ Arab Championship, remaining undefeated across six matches. Their impressive run included pool victories against Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya, followed by playoff wins over Palestine, Libya, and Bahrain. They lost only three sets throughout the tournament, with two of those coming in a challenging 3-2 (25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 20-25, 15-9) gold medal match against Bahrain. After a close pool play encounter where they dropped a set to Libya, Egypt swept them 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-18) in the semifinals.
In the other semifinal, Bahrain, winners of Pool B, secured their place on the podium by defeating Lebanon 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-12). They then took home the silver medal after their sole loss of the tournament in the final. Libya claimed the bronze, overcoming Lebanon 3-1 (16-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-19) in the third-place playoff.
The final standings saw Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait, and Iraq finishing from fifth to eighth, respectively.
U18 Boys’ Arab Volleyball Championship: Key Results
(Results and standings details were removed as per instructions to omit advertisements and external embeds. Please refer to official sources for comprehensive data.)
EAVA Women’s Volleyball Zonal Championship
Korea, another recipient of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, secured the bronze medal at last week’s EAVA Women’s Volleyball Zonal Championship in Hong Kong. China emerged as champions, with Chinese Taipei taking silver.
The Korea Volleyball Association has received USD 315,000 in coach support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment for its national teams, with Puerto Rican coach Fernando Morales specifically aiding the women’s teams. Furthermore, the federation was allocated USD 6,000 for coach development and USD 11,500 for volleyball equipment.
In Hong Kong, Korea advanced to the semifinals as Pool B runners-up after defeating Macao and then being defeated by China. Despite a 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-13) semifinal loss to Chinese Taipei, they recovered to win the third-place match against Hong Kong 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-14), securing the zonal bronze.
China, after a decisive 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-7) victory over Hong Kong in their semifinal, went on to clinch the gold medal. They staged a remarkable 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-22, 25-19) comeback win against Chinese Taipei in the final, concluding the tournament undefeated and becoming Eastern Asian volleyball champions.
Mongolia secured fifth place in the six-team tournament with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-18) win over Macao.
The championship`s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award was presented to China`s 18-year-old outside hitter, Li Chenxuan.
EAVA Women’s Volleyball Zonal Championship: Key Results
(Results and standings details were removed as per instructions to omit advertisements and external embeds. Please refer to official sources for comprehensive data.)
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood