Dubai: Argentina have become the first to name their official squad of players who will be travelling to Dubai for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Under-23 World Championships from August 24 to 31.
Their roster for the second edition of this competition was released earlier this week. The trio of Pablo Kukartsev, Ignacio Fernandez and Gonzalo Quiroga are the experienced faces in the team, with a host of under-21 players also making the grade.
Argentina, who finished seventh in the inaugural edition in Brazil in 2013, will feature alongside Brazil, South Korea, Egypt, Italy and hosts the UAE in Pool A. Pool B is made up of Asian champions Iran, Russia, Cuba, Mexico, African champions Tunisia and world champions Turkey.
Iran will take on Tunisia in the opening match at 12pm on August 24. The UAE will begin their campaign against Italy on the opening night (8.30pm).
“We are all set to host such an important championship in the history of volleyball in the UAE and the Gulf region. All arrangements are being made to ensure the visiting teams and their supporters get a true feel of being in such a diverse country like the UAE,” Yousuf Al Mulla, president of the UAE Volleyball Association (UAE VA), told Gulf News.
“Our team of youngsters is currently preparing for this competition in Serbia and we expect them to give a good account of themselves despite being put in a tough pool that includes the likes of defending champions Brazil, Argentina and Italy. For our young team this will surely be a rewarding experience and I hope they learn.”
The top two teams in each pool will progress to the semi-finals, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter a play-off for classifications from fifth to eighth.
