The China-Germany match in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League scheduled on Thursday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum has been canceled.
According to an FIVB statement, Germany “refused” to play against China despite the latter’s players already testing negative for COVID-19.
China, earlier, had to forfeit its match against France as they could not field six players after some players were tested for COVID-19.
“Germany refused to play against China, even though Chinese athletes were cleared by local authorities after testing positive for COVID-19,” read the statement.
Therefore, in accordance with the VNL 2022 Competition Regulations, Germany automatically forfeits the match, giving China a 3-0 win. China went up to 2-4 in the standings.
The Chinese players decided to just warmup in the venue before leaving.
Germany had earlier played in the leg, defeating Italy in three sets yesterday. They now fall to 3-3.
The FIVB apologized to the fans in the venue for the inconvenience the withdrawal caused.
“We apologize to the athletes, officials, spectators, and fans around the world for any inconvenience caused by this cancellation.”
The ticket holders for the canceled match were, however, advised that their tickets are also valid for later’s 7 p.m. match between Argentina and Slovenia.
The Chinese team was present on Thursday for the eventually canceled match.
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