A total of 14 teams will take part in the AVC Asian Women's Volleyball Champinship, which gets underway in Taipei on Thursday and you can watch the action live at Bet365.
Back to defend its title is Thailand, which stunned perennial champion China 3-1 in Hanoi two years ago. The Southeast Asian powerhouse is in Pool B with Vietnam and Australia. China will see action in Pool C with Kazakhstan, North Korea and India.
Pool A is made up of host Chinese Taipei, Iran and Indonesia while Pool D will feature Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan.
The Asian Women’s Senior Volleyball Championship began in Melbourne, Australia in 1975, with only five teams participating - Japan, Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand - and now, the most important women's volleyball tournament in Asia is getting ready to begin its 16th edition.
In the past 15 editions only six countries have won medals, with only three of those winning gold: China (11), Japan (3) and Thailand (1). China and Australia are the only two countries to have participated in all 16 tournaments
China is also the only country to have been in the top three on every occasion except in 1981.
Japan have participated in 15 editions, winning three golds in 1975, 1983 and 2007 as well as four silvers in 1979, 1987, 1991 and 1993 and six bronzes in 1989, 1995, 1997, 1999,2005 and 2009.
Thailand made their debut at the Asian Women’s Championship in 1987 and has been at every one since. They are the only other country in addition to China and Japan to have won gold, which they did in 2007.
Korea, like Japan, have made 15 appearances at the Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championships but have never won gold, instead clinching six silvers and six bronzes.
PR Korea and Kazakhstan are the only remaining countries to have won medals at Asian Women’s Senior events. They won silver in 2003 and 2005 respectively.
Chinese Taipei have attended 13 editions, but this is the first time that they will host the event in its 35-year history.
Thailand has hosted the event four times while China and Hong Kong hosted three times each. Vietnam have hosted twice while Japan, the Philippines and Australia have each organized once.
Asian Women's Volleyball Championship Fixtures
15.09.2011
07:00 Vietnam v Thailand
09:00 Japan v Turkmenistan
12:00 Chinese Taipei v Indonesia
14:00 North Korea v China
16.09.2011
03:00 Turkmenistan v South Korea
05:00 North Korea v Kazakhstan
07:00 Australia v Vietnam
09:00 China v India
11:00 Iran v Chinese Taipei
13:00 Japan v Sri Lanka
17.09.2011
03:00 Indonesia v Iran
07:00 Sri Lanka v Turkmenistan
05:00 India v North Korea
09:00 Thailand v Australia
11:00 Kazakhstan v China
13:00 South Korea v Japan
