Iran chosen to host VNL Week 4

TEHRAN – Iran has been chosen to host the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) fourth week.

The 2021 VNL is set to start on May 11 for the women and May 14 for the men, retaining the format of previous seasons.

The 16 teams per gender will meet in four-team pools over five weeks, to determine the top six that will then fight it out for the titles.

The venues for the final rounds remain to be confirmed, with the Women’s Finals set to be held in China and the Men’s Finals in Italy, both from June 23 to 27. That will bring the season to a climax ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, now scheduled for July 23 to August 8.

Men’s defending champions Russia, aiming for their third title in as many editions of the event since its introduction in 2018, will begin their quest at Jiangmen alongside hosts China, Iran and Japan over the first week of competition from May 14 to 16.

Tehran will host the prestigious competition in Week 4, where the Persians will meet Brazil, Australia and Slovenia.

The 2021 VNL will be the third edition of the event, after the cancellation of the 2020 competition due to the coronavirus pandemic.