Tajikistan men’s national volleyball team claim historic international victories on home soil

The Tajikistan senior men’s national volleyball team recently claimed their first-ever senior level victories by defeating Uzbekistan 3-0 and Kazakhstan 3-2 at an International Volleyball Tournament between Central Asian teams which was held at the Manezh Sports Complex in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 15-20 June.

The results follow nearly 12 months of coaching support from the FIVB under its revolutionary programme of Volleyball Empowerment. As part of the project, FIVB Instructor Mohammad Yousuf Sadeq from Afghanistan was appointed head coach of the team and has been working to develop both the national team and the National Federation’s administration since August 2021. The FIVB has also been supporting Mr Sadeq with his coaching salary after he fled Afghanistan in May 2021.

The International Volleyball Tournament included Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° said:

“These results are rightly very special to the Tajikistan men’s national team, and I am delighted for them. I am also immensely proud of the huge positive impact that the FIVB’s support has had for this team and for volleyball in the country.

“For me, it is moments like this that showcase why we must continue to reinvest the money that comes from the sport back into the sport. We are equipping national teams with the tools to compete at the highest level and bringing the joy of our sport to even more people around the world. I have no doubt the Tajikistan national team will use this victory as inspiration to help elevate them to even higher levels in the future.”

The Volleyball Empowerment project has also helped to re-engineer the structure of the Tajikistan Volleyball Federation, along with establishing the National Federation on online systems and processes such as VIS.

Tajikistan Volleyball Federation President Muradzoda Noderkhon said:

“I would like to express my huge thanks to the FIVB for approving this coaching support project for our country. This has helped to modernise our volleyball system and this project has been very beneficial, not only from a technical and coaching perspective, but also in other aspects such as the improved structure of our National Federation and a better event organisation system.”

“The Tajikistan men’s national team’s historic victories against Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the most visible achievements from this project so far. Once again, as the Tajikistan Volleyball Federation President, I would like to thank the FIVB for its great support and I look forward to working together in the future.”

In addition to developing the national team, the head coach of the national team has also been helping local coaches to advance their knowledge of the game. For example, he conducted a FIVB Level I Coaches Course, helping to build a strong foundation for the future of the sport in Tajikistan.

Head Coach Mohammad Yousuf Sadeq said:

“It has been a pleasure to guide the Tajikistan men’s national team and help professionalise volleyball in Tajikistan. While it has been challenging to learn a new approach to professional volleyball, the players have all improved their mental and physical abilities as well as their technical and tactical skills.

“I am proud of the team for winning their first international matches and it is clear how much this means to them as well as to Tajikistan’s passionate volleyball fans. While this is an incredible result, there is still much work to be done to build on this success.”

The Tajikistan Volleyball Federation is now looking to use the recent success of its men’s national team to acquire sponsors, continue to build and professionalise the volleyball system in the country and further develop the technical capacity of its technical and administrative staff.