In the new World Ranking system, the best Asian team Iran, sits eighth, while Brazil remains in top place. Poland, the US, Russia, Argentina, France, and Italy sit above Iran in the ranking.
The 12 qualified teams per gender have been split into two single round-robin pools of six, with the top four in the standings of each pool to advance to the quarterfinals.
The teams were assigned to pools in line with the serpentine method, with hosts Japan placed in the first position in Pool A and the remaining squads ordered by their positions in the FIVB World Ranking.
The men’s national team of Japan, 1972 Olympic champions, is set to go up against the champions of the world in Pool A of their tournament. In addition to 1976 gold medalists Poland, the hosts will face the 2016 Olympic silver medalists Italy, as well as Canada, Iran, and Venezuela.
In Pool B, three-time Olympic champs Brazil will defend their Rio gold playing against three-time podium toppers the US, four-time gold medalists and reigning VNL champions Russia and the teams of Argentina, France and Tunisia.
In the quarterfinals, each pool winner will meet the fourth-placed team from the other pool, while a draw will determine the opponents of the second-placed and the third-placed teams which will be from the other pool as well, fivb.org reported.
In the women’s tournament, the reigning world and European champions and 2016 Olympic silver medalists Serbia, two-time Olympic champions Brazil, as well as the teams of Korea, Dominican Republic, and Kenya will be in the company of hosts Japan, two-time Olympic gold medalists themselves, in Pool A.
Three-time Olympic champions China will start the defense of their 2016 title in Pool B, where they will compete against back-to-back VNL gold medalists the US, the most decorated team in Olympic history – Russia, 2018 World Championship runners-up Italy, as well as Argentina and Turkey.
MNA/TT