The Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2024 Macao presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group, jointly organized by the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and the Volleyball Association of Macao, China commenced today (28 May) at the Galaxy Arena. Thailand kicked off the event with a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic, while Brazil twice came back from behind to defeat Japan 3-2. Italy will meet France at 4 p.m. tomorrow (29 May) while host China will take on the Netherlands at 7:30 p.m.

Thailand secured first win of this year’s campaign

VNL Macao got underway with the match of Thailand v Dominican Republic. Both teams made a quick start. Although the Dominican Republic attacked well, they struggled with blocking as the Thais took the first set 25-22. The Dominican Republic responded well to take set 2 by 25-20 to tie the match. Thailand then stepped up a gear to suppress their opponent, winning the next two sets 25-17 and 26-24 to record their first win in VNL 2024.

Brazil beat Japan in tight contest

Brazil and Japan played out a classic in the second match of the day. Japan’s superior receiving helped them edge the first set 26-24. The see-saw battle continued in the second set as Brazil withstood the pressure from Japan’s blocking to close out the set by 26-24. The teams then traded the next two sets 25-19 and 25-20, before Brazil powered to the finish line in the deciding set 15-11 thanks to great plays by captain Gabriela Guimarães and middle blocker Thaísa Menezes.

Tickets sales have received overwhelming response. Limited tickets are available for purchase via Damai application and mini program and MacauTicket.com. In addition, limited tickets for some sessions are available for sale at the Galaxy Arena. The tickets are priced between MOP 180 and MOP 1,380, depending on the seat section and match session. All ticket prices are in Macao Patacas (MOP) or Renminbi (CNY), and same prices apply to both Macao Patacas and Hong Kong dollars. Each person can purchase a maximum of four tickets per session. Every person taller than 1.2m in height requires a ticket for admission. Children who are less than 1.2m in height and do not occupy a seat can enter the venue free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult at all times, and each adult can only bring along one child.

Holders of Macao Resident ID Card can enjoy a 10% discount, and holders of a Macao full-time Student Card, Macao residents aged 65 or above, or holders of Registration Card for Disability Assessment can enjoy a 20% discount. Discounts are only available for tickets from 28 to 30 May at the Galaxy Arena during the event period, with each person limited to one discounted ticket per session. The concession is valid while stocks.

The Women’s VNL Macao 2024 will continue tomorrow until Sunday (2 June). For more details, please visit the event website at www.macaovnl.com or the Sports Bureau website at www.sport.gov.mo, or follow the ‘Macao Major Sporting Events’ Facebook page, ‘澳門體育’ WeChat official account and ‘澳門特區體育局’ (Macao SAR Sports Bureau) WeChat subscription account.