Nevobo and World ParaVolley have signed a Letter of Intent for the organization of the Final Paralympic Sitting Volleyball Qualification Tournament on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. This was announced by Elvira Stinissen, Vice President of World ParaVolley during the World Championship Sittingvolleyball closing ceremony in China, Hangzhou. The tournament will be held in Q1 2028 in Arnhem.
According to World ParaVolley (WPV) President Jürgen Schrapp, the organization of the tournament for both men and women is in good hands with Nevobo. Partly for that reason, the Dutch bid was assessed as the strongest. “The Netherlands has an excellent reputation when it comes to organizing international volleyball tournaments. For ParaVolley worldwide, this qualification event in 2028 is the most important stop on the road to Los Angeles 2028.”
Recognition of the Sport’s Development
Elvira Stinissen, also former international player and team captain of the Dutch team, is proud that the tournament has been awarded to the Netherlands.
“The Netherlands has a rich history in sitting volleyball and was one of the sport’s leading nations on the international stage for many years. It has also played an important role in the development of the sport worldwide. In recent years, Nevobo has invested significantly in the further growth of sitting volleyball and in successfully integrating this Paralympic discipline within the national volleyball federation. The decision by World ParaVolley to award the Final Paralympic Qualifier to the Netherlands is, in my view, a strong recognition of that progress. I am confident that, together, we will deliver an outstanding event.”
Qualification Criteria
In principle, the final qualification tournament will feature eight teams per gender. These places will be allocated to the highest-ranked countries on the world ranking list that have not yet qualified for the Paralympic Games through other qualification pathways.
If the Netherlands is not among the highest-ranked countries or has not otherwise qualified, it may still participate in the Final Qualifier as the host nation.
Eight Nations in Los Angeles
Only one Paralympic qualification place per gender will be available at the tournament itself. In total, eight national teams per gender will compete at the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
The United States qualified automatically as the host nation by finishing among the top eight teams at the most recent World Championships. At the recently concluded World Championships in China, Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina (men), and Brazil and China (women), secured the first Paralympic qualification places, as the USA won the women’s gold medal.
Four additional qualification places will be awarded at the continental championships in 2027, while the eighth and final qualification place will be decided in 2028 at the tournament in the Netherlands.
The Dutch sitting volleyball team last competed at the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, where the women’s team finished sixth. Previously, the Dutch women won silver in Athens (2004) and bronze in Beijing (2008). The Dutch men’s team has not appeared at the Paralympic Games since Sydney 2000.