Local volleyball officials are planning a friendly tournament before the start of the World Championship in the Philippines; a match with Italy is also possible.

The Russian Volleyball Federation plans to host a competition on its home soil, thus sending a clear signal to Europe and the world that it is open to sports. The information comes from the local sports portal BO Sport.

"We are currently working on holding a tournament in Russia with teams that will participate in the World Championship. These are expected to be the teams from Iran, Egypt, Cuba, and Belarus. The tournament dates are August 29th, 30th, and 31st," Yaremenko said in an interview with TASS.

Iran, Egypt, and Cuba will compete at the World Championship in the Philippines from September 12th to 28th.

Earlier, Yaremenko announced a possible match between the Russian and Italian national teams in August 2025. Details are awaited.

We remind you that after the complete removal of Russian national teams from international tournaments in 2022, May 2025 marked a turning point – Belgrade hosted friendly matches that allowed for Russia's return to the international stage for both women and men: Serbia – Russia (May 31, 2025) and Serbia – Russia (June 1, 2025).

Perhaps it is no coincidence, but Russia's symbolic return to international volleyball began from the heart of the Balkans. In the women's match, Russia achieved a comeback from 0:2 to 3:2 sets against host Serbia – the guests demonstrated character, physical endurance, and strong potential from the bench. The men also prevailed, but with 3:1 sets, again against Serbia, clearly signaling their resurgence at the highest level. The two matches in Belgrade were not part of the official calendar but had immense political and sporting significance, marking the first step towards Russia's return to the international stage.

Photo:Nikolay Varadinov