Lausanne, Switzerland, January 3, 2020 - The New Year begins with a bang just a few days into 2020, as action picks up across the globe with the last five tickets to the women's volleyball tournament of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics coming up for grabs.
Five qualification tournaments at continental level, starting as of Sunday, will decide the last five teams to make the ultimate sporting event of the world.
● Africa: 5-9 January in Yaounde
● Asia: 7-12 January in Nakhon Ratchasima
● Europe: 7-12 January in Apeldoorn
● North & Central America and Caribbean: 10-12 January in Santo Domingo
● South America: 7-9 January in Bogota
One team qualifies from each tournament.
They will join Serbia, China, USA, Brazil, Russia and Italy who had already qualified last August through an intercontinental process. Japan had already secured their spot by default as hosts of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
First off the blocks is Africa, with five teams in contention in a round-robin tournament hosted by Cameroon in Yaounde. The hosts will be looking at their second consecutive Olympic appearance, after finishing 11th at Rio 2016.
But they're up against Kenya, who had two previous Olympic appearances in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 (on both occasions 11th), as well as African powerhouse Egypt, who are bidding for their first ever qualification to a women's tournament of the Olympic Games.
Botswana and Nigeria are also after their first Olympic appearance.
The only other African team to have played at the Olympic Games are Algeria (11th in both Beijing 2008 and London 2012) - but they're not in contention for a ticket this time around.
The hectic ten-day volleyball extravaganza gets in full swing on Tuesday, when Asia, Europe and South America join the fray.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand host six opponents in their quest to make their Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020. The Asian tournament has its seven participants divided into two pools (Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Australia in Pool A; Iran, Kazakhstan, Korea and Indonesia in Pool B). The top two of each pool advance to crosswise semifinals, followed by the deciding match.
The hosts have to contend with Korea, who have a rich background of 11 prior appearances in 14 editions since the introduction of volleyball in the Olympic Programme in 1964 - including a bronze medal in Montreal 1976).
Of the other entrants in the Asian tournament, Kazakhstan have previously competed once in the Olympic Games, finishing 9th in Beijing 2008. North Korea, bronze medallists in Munich 1972, are not in the running this year.
In Europe, no fewer than three previous Olympic medallists are still seeking their spot in Tokyo 2020. The Netherlands, losers of the bronze medal match to USA last time around in Rio 2016, host Germany (silver in Moscow 1980 as East Germany), Poland (twice bronze in Tokyo 1964 and Mexico City 1968) and Bulgaria (bronze in Moscow 1980).
The European qualifiers feature a total of eight teams in two pools of four (Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Poland in Pool A; Belgium, Croatia, Germany and Turkey in Pool B). The pools phase will be followed by crosswise semifinals and a deciding match for the ticket to Tokyo 2020.
Of these, Croatia were 7th in Sydney 2000, Germany are looking for their ninth Olympic appearance (combined as East, West and unified) and Turkey were 9th in London 2012, while the hosts aim at their fourth overall Olympics.
Azerbaijan and Belgium have never before qualified to the Olympic Games.
And in Bogota, Colombia are after making their Olympic debut, when they host Peru, Argentina and Venezuela in a single four-team round-robin pool.
All three of Colombia's opponents have prior Olympic experience, including a silver medal in Seoul 1988 by Peru, who have appeared in the Olympic Games on seven previous occasions.
Argentina were 9th in their sole previous appearance in Rio 2016 and Venezuela ranked 11th in Beijing 2008.
Also composed of just four teams in a single round-robin pool are the North & Central America and Caribbean (NORCECA) qualifiers, hosted in Santo Domingo by the Dominican Republic, who look at returning to the Olympic Games after 11th place in Athens 2004 and 5th in London 2012.
Joining them will be Mexico (7th in their only previous appearance when they hosted the Games in Mexico City 1968), Puerto Rico (11th in Rio 2016) and Canada (8th in both Montreal 1976 and Los Angeles 1984, and 9th Atlanta 1996).
Quick links - Volleyball:
Continental Tokyo Volleyball Qualification 2020
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