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Asian volleyball governing body strips Korea of champions league hosting, moves event to Bangkok

Published: 02 Apr. 2026, 15:05 Updated: 02 Apr. 2026, 17:17

The Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders celebrate during a V League match against the GS Caltex Seoul Kixx at Jangchung Arena in central Seoul on March 24. [NEWS1]

The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) stripped Korea of hosting rights for the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Champions League over what it called serious “structural failures,” moving the tournament from Incheon to Bangkok, Thailand, and even putting the participation of a Korean team in the event in doubt.

“Originally scheduled to take place in Incheon, Korea, this prestigious tournament will now be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand,” the AVC said in a statement on Thursday.

The champions league serves as the top club competition in Asia, bringing together leading teams from leagues across the region. Participating teams usually include league champions or top-ranked clubs from countries such as Korea, Japan, China, Thailand and the Philippines,

This year's edition was due to take place from April 26 to 30 at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon.

But the AVC cited the “severe lack of preparation and structural failures of the Local Organizing Committee in Korea managed by H&L Partners,” including failures to secure basic infrastructure, accommodations, transportation and competition venues.

With the champions league now taking place outside Korea, the yet-to-be determined V League championship winners — who were due to participate in the tournament — will have to pay for their flights and accommodations on their own. The AVC told the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) that it will not cover the costs.

The participating team can choose to pay the price out of its pocket, but winning the champions league only comes with $20,000 in prize money along with a ticket to the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship.

The prize money is far less than that of other international sporting events in Asia. By comparison, the basketball tournament East Asia Super League offers a winner's prize of $1.5 million.

“Neither the Korea Volleyball Association nor the KOVO initiated the bid for the champions league,” a volleyball source said. “The AVC proposed holding it in Korea.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]