Tunisian opposite Wassim Ben Tara is playing in his first Olympic Games, but has already earned praise from none other than Brazilian setter Bruno Rezende.

“Tunisia are a good team and they have a very good young opposite,” Bruno said about Ben Tara.

“It’s amazing to have this kind of compliment from a player like Bruno, who is one of the best setters in the world. I want to thank him for saying that,” Ben Tara responded.

“To be here at the Olympic Games and to fight against the best in the world just makes me ecstatic. This experience has been unique for me because an athlete has only one chance to go in four years. It’s a dream to be here.”

Tunisia pushed the reigning Olympic champions in the first two sets of their encounter on the opening day, before conceding the match in the third set.

Ben Tara was Tunisia’s centre of offence and matched the intensity of Brazilian veteran Wallace De Souza with 13-points in an impressive start.

The match against Brazil and the five-set match with Argentina were his most memorable so far for Tunisia with Ben Tara showcasing his country's volleyball at its finest.

“The most unforgettable match for me would be the match against Brazil and the match with Argentina because we put a lot of energy into them and fought more in those encounters. And particularly in the match with Argentina, we had the opportunity to win it in 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2.”

Ben Tara is pleased that he is able to represent his country and hopes that their good performances in Tokyo will be the start of something bigger.

“Volleyball is not the main sport in Tunisia, but people are getting more and more interested in it. And that shows in the number of volleyball clubs that participate in competitions,” he said.

Tunisia have participated in the Olympic Games volleyball more than any other African nation - seven times. They last played at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and participated in the Olympics at Munich 1972, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004.

Quick links:
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball - Match schedule
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