China’s men’s national team marked their return to the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in 2025 by clinching gold at the final edition of the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup. The tournament, held in Linyi, China, saw the hosts defeat Belgium 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22) in the final match, much to the delight of their home fans.
Key players Wang Jingyi and Zhang Jingyin were instrumental in the victory. Wang topped the scores with 23 points, while Zhang added 20 points to secure the win. Belgium’s Ferre Reggers led his team with 19 points.
With this victory, China will join the 18 national teams competing in the expanded VNL format in 2025. Joining them in the expanded format for next year will be the 16 national teams that competed in 2024, along with the highest-ranked team in the FIVB World Ranking that has not qualified.
In the Challenger Cup’s bronze medal match, Egypt edged out Ukraine in a thrilling 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13) contest. Egypt’s Reda Haikal shone with 24 points, providing a confidence boost ahead of their participation in the Paris Olympics.
