COVID-19 cases force cancellation of men's team match

Wednesday's Volleyball National League (VNL) match in the Philippines between the Chinese men's team and France has been canceled after multiple Chinese players tested positive for COVID-19, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the China Volleyball Association (CVA) said on Monday.

According to a statement released by the FIVB, the Chinese men's team is unable to field six players for the match due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With China automatically forfeiting the match, France has been awarded a 3-0 win.

"The FIVB and Volleyball World apologize to the athletes and fans for any inconvenience caused by the cancellation. As always, the primary concern of the FIVB and Volleyball World is protecting the health and well-being of our athletes, officials and fans," read an FIVB statement.

The CVA confirmed the news later on Monday.

"Multiple players were detected through rapid antigen tests when the team arrived in the Philippines for the VNL, after concluding the first week of the campaign in Brasilia. The CVA communicated with the FIVB immediately about the retesting and the followup fixtures after the positive tests," read a CVA statement.

"After the retests, the cases were confirmed. According to the five-day quarantine period set by the committee, the Chinese men's national team is unable to field six players for the match. The FIVB has, therefore, announced the cancellation of the match."

The CVA said it will now focus on the treatment and recovery of infected players and "keep in close contact with the FIVB" to prepare for the rest of the tournament.

After opening its VNL campaign in Brazil with three straight losses－to Iran, Japan and Slovenia－Team China enjoyed a morale-boosting victory over the host and defending champion Brazil on June 12－triumphing 25-23, 31-29,25-23.

"Most teams are stronger than us, so our mentality is to fight the hardest we can when we face each rival," said Team China head coach Wu Sheng.

"After the first few matches, the physical condition of the players is improving. These competitions are tests for us to grow."

Fans had been hoping to see Team China deliver more surprises in Quezon City, the Philippines, however now their only concern is that the players can recover from the virus and get healthy.