Al Arabi SC players are seen during their training session on the eve of the FIVB Men’s Club Volleyball World Championship which commences at the Aspire Zone indoor hall today. Pictures: Farid Abdulwahab

By John Verghese
Doha: Rocket serves, rallies which hang in the air, powerful spiking and quicksilver finishes will come alive when the FIVB Men’s Club Volleyball World Championship begins at the Aspire Dome today.
Italian club Trentino, the European Champions League victors, who will clash with African champions, Zamalek (Egypt) in the opening match today, will start as hot favourites in the eight-team competition. Skra Belchatow of Poland, Zenit Kazan of Russia as well as Brazil’s Cimed, the reigning South American champions are  also expected to produce powerful performances.

Qatar Volleyball Association president Dr Abdullah al-Mal (third from lright) is seen during the technical meeting of the championship held yesterday

Al Arabi Sports Club, the champion team of Qatar will play their opening match against  Skra Belchatow.
Asian champions Payakan of Iran and North & Central American Confederation representative Corozal (Puerto Rico) are the other teams in the fray.
The competition, which comprises eight teams playing in two pools, will be the first at the world level since Italy organised the fourth edition in Treviso 17 years ago in 1992.
Qatar can take pride in not only the fact that it has taken the lead in reviving this championship but also because ‘Golden Formula,’ an exciting concept devised by Qatar Volleyball Association (QVBA) technical director Hussein Imam Ali is being introduced for the first time in a world level event.
The new rule necessitates the first attack for each team after the opponent’s service should take place from the back row, in an attempt to produce longer rallies and to give the fans a greater spectacle. The concept is another ambitious bid by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to sustain the attraction of the sport for fans all over the world. With Italian clubs,  Maxicono Parma (1989), Massaggero Ravenna (1991) and Mediolanum Milano (1990, 1992), having won the last four competitions, Trentino carry the weight of expectations of maintaining the Italian dominance.
Despite their strong credentials by continental standards, most teams are approaching the event cautiously due to the introduction of the new rule.
Italian coach Radostin Stoytchev hit the nail on the head saying, “I hope our regular players and the newcomers can adjust quickly. It is not easy to become champions. We have not had enough time to train under the new rule.”
Giving ample evidence of this was the seriousness with which the Trentino players and the officials approached their training session at the Al Arabi Sports Club yesterday.
Polish side Skra Belchatow will miss their main players like Mariusz Wlazly, Jakub Novotny as well as Michal Winiarski.
“Like other teams we are worried about the new rule due to our inadequate preparations,” said Belchatow head coach Jacek Nawrocki. Belchatow’s fortunes will rest on their blockers, Daniel Plinski and Marcin Mozdzonek playing to their potential.
The progress of Zenit Kazan who trained at the Aspire Dome yesterday will depend on their American giants, captain Lloy Ball (2.03m) and Clayton Stanley (2.05m) combining well with the 2.06m tall Alexander Abrosimov.
Payakan under coach Alireza Moameri has had the best preparations under the new ‘Golden Formula’ rule in the build-up to the event, having trained at home for three months as well as undertaking another two-week camp in Bulgaria.
Hosts Al Arabi who are hoping to at least reach the semifinals under Tunisian coach Mohamed al-Bahri have added new players like Egyptian setter Ahmed Salah and opposite Ahmed Salah along with Samir Sellami of Tunisia and Cuban spiker Walter Garcia.
Al-Bahri has said the side will have to come through their toughest test so far if they are to perform well.  “We have a great track record as a club and there is no reason why we shouldn’t give a good account of ourselves,” he said.
“But if we are to challenge the best teams in the world who are actually the cream of  talent, we will need players like Said Jumaa, Ibrahim Mohamed and captain Said Salim playing prominent roles,” he said. Qatar national team manager Abdulqadir Keciba, who has coached most of the top clubs of the country for the last 14 years hoped the Al Arabi players would be able to function cohesively. “With so many new players joining their ranks since their domestic campaign, I hope the older and the new players will function as a unit.”
Egypt’s Zamalek is another team which will aspire to bring cheer to their expatriate countrymen with a noteworthy performance.
Today’s schedule: Nov 3: Pool ‘A’: Trentino (Ita) vs Zamalek (Egy), 11.00 am; Zenit Kazan (Rus) vs Corozal (Puerto Rico), 4 pm.. Pool ‘B’:  PGE Skra Belchatow (Poland) vs Al Arabi (Qatar), 6pm; Payakan (Iran) vs Cimed (Brazil), 8pm. (All at Aspire Zone indoor hall).