Historic Olympic Games qualification caps Thailand’s volleyball rise, China’s fall
Thailand beat China 3-2 to win Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, earning a spot at a Games for the first time
Thailand’s victory over China in the final of the Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship earned them their first-ever Olympics spot, underscoring both the former’s tactical ascension and deepening concerns over the latter’s future.
The hosts led 2-1 in Tianjin, before Thailand rallied to win 3-2 and complete a clean sweep of Asian powerhouses, with victories over South Korea and Japan coming in the lead up to Sunday’s triumph.
Qualification for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles comes 47 years after the start of the women’s programme, and after three previous near misses.
At the heart of the rise, has been a highly coordinated tactical system, implemented by head coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, who returned to lead the team in 2024.
Despite an average height of 1.75 metres, compared to China’s 1.88 metres, Thailand compensated with tactical flexibility, recording a 65 per cent dig rate, eight service aces, and five attackers scoring in double digits.
“We are very happy, it’s a miracle for us. This is our dream,” an emotional Kiattipong said afterwards. “For myself as a coach, I waited for 30 years and we qualified for the Olympics. And some of our players waited for this time for so long.”