Women’s Nations League volleyball: players praise Kai Tak Arena but will miss Coliseum
Facilities are bigger and better at new venue, says Italy’s Alice Degradi after her team reclaim top spot
Players at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Arena have praised the new venue, saying the bigger and better facilities allowed for the best possible preparation.
When this year’s edition began on Wednesday, it was the first time it had not been held in the Hong Kong Coliseum since it came to the city in 2018.
Paris Olympic champions Italy beat Thailand 3-0 on Thursday to reclaim their position at the top of the league, before China emerged victorious with a 3-2 win over Bulgaria.
“Both venues are beautiful,” Italy’s outside hitter Alice Degradi said. “But I have very beautiful memories from the Coliseum, because we were losing 2-1 against China [in 2023], and when we beat them, we qualified for the finals.
“I have that place in my heart, we have good memories there, but we want to create new ones here.”
However, Degradi said that in terms of the facilities on offer to the elite players, Kai Tak was the clear winner, a view echoed by her Thai counterpart, Ajcharaporn Kongyot.