Poland has a new hope in attack... if bureaucracy allows
The Polish national volleyball team enters the 2025 season with a rejuvenated squad, but still relies on veteran Bartosz Kurek in the opposite hitter position. Amidst preparations for the World Championship, where "Biało-czerwoni" will defend their silver medals from 2022, and Nikola Grbic's announced extended squad of 30 players, discussions about potential new additions are flaring up again. At the center of attention is the case of Wassim Ben Tara – a talented volleyball player with Polish roots, whose joining the team is blocked by complex international rules and a lack of consent from his home federation.
The "Wassim Ben Tara" Case
Wassim Ben Tara, whose mother is Polish and father is Tunisian, also holds Polish citizenship. The 29-year-old opposite hitter, who has demonstrated excellent form this season with Italian giants Perugia, and before that (2020-2023) played in the Polish PlusLiga for PSG Stal Nysa, has been trying to change his sporting nationality from Tunisian to Polish since 2023. This is important because he initiated the procedure before the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) further tightened the rules for changing sporting nationality.
However, the process is stalled. "As for Wassim, there's a problem with his original federation, i.e., the Tunisian one. Moreover, the African confederation also doesn't give its consent," explained Sebastian Świderski, president of the Polish Volleyball Federation (PZPS), to Interia Sport. He added that the case has already been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) under the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Position of the Polish Federation
Świderski expressed the Polish headquarters' principled stance on such cases, which hinder athletes: "We are awaiting a decision and we believe that, above all, the player should decide where he wants to play, not the people at the table."
Significance for Poland and the Future
Attracting Ben Tara would be of strategic importance for Poland. The opposite hitter position is considered one of potentially problematic areas in the future, given the advanced age (37) of undisputed leader Bartosz Kurek, even though he is still in excellent form. Successful completion of the procedure would allow Ben Tara to play for the "white-reds" (similar to Wilfredo Leon, who is no longer considered naturalized under specific FIVB rules). Furthermore, with a Polish sporting passport, he would not occupy a foreigner's quota in PlusLiga, which is an advantage for both him and potential Polish clubs.
Systemic Difficulties
The case of Ben Tara is not isolated. The text also mentions Igor Grobelny – an ethnic Pole born in Belgium and who played for the Belgian national team, who also encounters obstacles from the Belgian federation in his attempt to play for Poland. These examples illustrate the systemic difficulties arising from FIVB regulations and the unwillingness of some national federations to cooperate in changing sporting affiliation, which can prolong such cases for years.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
