Preparations are well underway in Hangzhou for the 2026 Sitting Volleyball World Championships for Men and Women, which run from 10 to 17 July – and with the completion of the World Cup, we can now confirm the 16 Men’s and Women’s teams that have secured a slot for the competition.

The Women’s Teams

China (Host), USA (LA28 Host and Paris 2024 Gold Medallist), Brasil and Canada (PVPA Zonal Championship), Iran and Japan (PVAO Zonal Championship), Rwanda and Kenya (PVA Zonal Championship), Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine (PVE Zonal Championship) and Germany (World Cup) have all qualified via our competition pathway.

In addition, Slovenia (WR5), France (WR12), Thailand (WR13) and Hungary (WR14) qualify as the next-highest ranked teams, not yet qualified, based on WPV World Ranking points calculated following the World Cup.

The Men’s Teams

China (Host), Iran (Paris 2024 Gold Medallist), USA (LA28 Host), Brasil and Canada (PVPA Zonal Championship), Kazakhstan and Thailand (PVAO Zonal Championship), Egypt and Rwanda (PVA Zonal Championship), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Ukraine (PVE Zonal Championship) and Poland and Croatia (World Cup) have all qualified via our competition pathway.

In addition, Japan (WR12), and Iraq (WR13) qualify as the next-highest ranked teams, not yet qualified, based on WPV World Ranking points calculated following the World Cup.

Congratulations to all these teams – so please start your planning to be in Hangzhou next July!

The Qualification table can be found HERE.

The process from here for qualified teams:

In the next few weeks, WPV will contact each of the qualified nations to confirm their participation in next year’s World Championships.  If any nation is not able to participate, or does not wish to participate, or does not confirm their participation, their slot will be offered to the next-highest ranked, not yet qualified team based on World Rankings, until all 16 slots are filled.  So please keep a look out for this correspondence to confirm your position.  In addition, please start to prepare to pay your entry fee early in 2026 – as teams that do not meet their deadlines may be substituted for an alternative.

Hangzhou is a spectacular city – famous for its scenic beauty, particularly West Lake, and its historical significance as the “Capital of Silk” and a former imperial capital and is well-known for its Longjing (Dragon Well) tea and its modern status as a major technology hub – a wonderful place to showcase Sitting Volleyball, and our first World Championships to be held in the ParaVolley Asia-Oceania Zone.