In 2021, the Polish cadet team won the world championship in Tehran. On Friday, Mateusz Grabda’s players will start the competition for gold in the U-21 category. Already in the group stage, they will have a rematch of the World Cup final two years ago.

After training camps in Metz (France), Radom and Nowy Dwór, a series of successful fights with the Brazilians (3:2 and 2:3), the Argentinians (3:1 and 3:0) and there is a few days with the Netherlands (4:1 and 4:0) The Polish U-21 volleyball team has completed its preparations for the most important tournament of the season. On Friday, Mateusz Grabda’s players will start the world championships with a clash with India. Two years ago, the Biało-Czerwoni proved unrivaled in their age category. A year later, they won silver at the European U-20 Championship, losing the final to Italy. This time they are also among the favorites to win the gold medal.

Theoretically, it should be a little easier to pull it off, as there won’t be any Russians among the rivals, who haven’t left the U-21 World Cup podium since 2011, and took fourth place two years ago in Tehran at the U-19 World Cup. Our volleyball players won the gold medal beating the Bulgarians in the final. It is with this opponent and with India and Canada that the Poles will face each other in the group stage.

– Of course, our group is not the strongest, but the world championship ranking is so big that you have to be very concentrated all the time. The opponents will certainly want to put pressure on us. Everyone will want to win against the world champion. We want to create a mega collective that will be able to fight for the highest possible goals – admitted Mateusz Grabda in an interview with the portal “Polska volleyball”.

Our team seems well prepared for the tournament, as evidenced by the results of the practice matches with the Netherlands. Our players won the first game 4:1 (25:21, 25:22, 24:26, 25:16, 25:22), the second game 4:0 (25:23, 25:19, 25:23 , 25:17). Aliaksei Nasevich showed himself well in both. In recent days, the Belarusian striker received a document that allows him to officially play for the Polish national team. The 20-year-old will compete with Tytus Nowik for a spot on the right wing.

– This is a group of players that includes players of the PlusLiga level in its ranks. This is a team which, in previous years, has returned from the championships with a medal. He certainly has a high chance of success – admits the director of sport and training of the Polish Volleyball Association, Krzysztof Felczak, as quoted by the portal “Polska volleyball”.

Bahrain 2024 U21 Men’s World Championship:

Group A: Bahrain, Iran, Thailand, Tunisia
Group B: Italy, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico
Group C: PolandBulgaria, Canada, India
Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, USA

The tournament in Manama (Bahrain) will last from July 7 to 16, 2023. The top two teams will advance to the next round, which will again be played according to the “round-robin” system in groups E and F. The teams of the first two teams will qualify for the medal zone two seats.

The second part of the group stage will take place on July 11, 12 and 13. The semi-finals are scheduled for July 15, with the medal matches a day later.

The schedule of matches of the 1st round of the U21 World Cup in the “Polish Group”:

July 7
India – Poland 10:00 a.m.
Canada – Bulgaria 1:00 p.m.

July 8
Canada – Poland 10:00 a.m.
Bulgaria – India 1:00 p.m.

July 9th
Bulgaria – Poland 10:00 a.m.
India – Canada 1:00 p.m.

The Polish national team at the U21 World Cup:

Strategist: Damian Bilinski, Kajetan Kubicki
Attacker: Titus Nowik, Aliaksiei Nasevich
Environment: Jakub Majchrzak, Mateusz Kufka, Mateusz Nowak
host: Kamil Szymendera, Piotr Sliwka, Jakub Olszewski, Marcel Hendzelwski
Libero: Kuba Hawryluk

Training and medical staff:

Mateusz Grabda – 1st coach
Marcin Ogonowski – assistant coach
Maciej Kołodziejczyk – assistant coach
Mateusz Zimoch – motor readiness coach
Maciej Etgens – statistician
Michał Kusiński – physiotherapist
Mateusz Brela – psychologist

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