Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association, is confident that Thailand is ready to host Round 2 of VNL 2026 but is concerned about the readiness and potential of the Thai national team.
On 23 December 2025, Thailand is preparing to move forward as the host for Round 2 of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2026, scheduled for mid-July next year. Recently, Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association of Thailand, revealed updates on progress and preparedness in all aspects.
The Association President confirmed that regarding event organization, the Association has little worry because Thailand has continuously hosted international tournaments, especially the Women's Volleyball World Championship, which has been praised internationally as one of the best-organized tournaments.
"Regarding VNL, we aren't overly concerned because we have extensive experience with international competitions. I’m not very worried about the event organization. We assure that we can manage it according to the International Volleyball Federation's standards without any issues," Somporn said.
However, the key priority for the Association is the performance and development of the Thai national team, especially managing the team players who are spread out in foreign professional leagues, making it necessary to coordinate their time to maximize joint training opportunities.
"What we truly worry about is our team. Next year will be challenging because the competition will intensify. We are in a zone where we must be cautious and compete with many countries to maintain our status," the Association President stated.
Somporn also emphasized that VNL 2026 will be a crucial test for the Thai national team in terms of team quality and consistent global performance, requiring long-term planning and prioritizing athlete development.
"We are ready to host, but what we must be most aware of is the team’s efficiency because next year's competition will definitely be more intense than before."