The Hindu : Sport / Volleyball : Brazil meets Russia on day one

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Sport - Volleyball

Brazil meets Russia on day one

Nandakumar Marar

PUNE: Brazil in combat with Russia in men’s volleyball is a sporting spectacle of the highest level.

The 2009 FIVB men’s junior World championship will see the two world-beating sides facing off on the opening day.

Russian revenge for the 2007 title loss at Casablanca is only one of the numerous thoughts swirling in Percy Onken’s mind. He was coach of the winning squad when Brazil won 3-0 two years ago and knows the Russians will come on strong in Friday’s Pool D opener at the Balewadi Sports Complex.

New faces

“The first final for us,” was the Brazil head coach’s observation. He is working with a fresh batch, no member of the 2007 champion squad is playing two years later, so infusing a winning culture in a bunch of new faces is the challenge.

First test for India

Tunisia is an unknown quantity for Indian volleyball followers, though far more experienced at the international level. The Group A clash with the African No. 2 nation will be the first test for India, before running into formidable Belarus and mighty United States.

M.H. Kumara, the Indian coach, is aware of the enormity of the task ahead.

“Tunisia gets more exposure to world levels, as the number two team from the African zone behind Egypt. Their approach will be different. For us, finishing in the first eight is important, everything else is a bonus,” he said.

FIVB rankings list Tunisia at 11 in men’s junior category, one place above India.

Tunisian manager Kilani Jerad Abdel Majid said the nation’s senior players regularly play in France, Japan, Greece, Turkey, besides the Gulf. The national team prepared for the Pune event with matches against Egypt. The Indians tuned up for the tournament at Bangalore, competing against the seniors at Kengeri and tested themselves in two practice games against Poland on arrival in Balewadi.

The groupings:

Pool A: India, USA, Tunisia, Belarus; Pool B: Argentina, France, Cuba, Greece; Pool C: Iran, China, Egypt, Belgium; Pool D: Brazil, Russia, Poland, Canada.