Czechia’s historic run in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship continues to make waves, with Jan Galabov hoping it will finally cast a brighter spotlight on the sport back home.
For decades, volleyball has struggled to capture mainstream attention in Czechia, where ice hockey and football dominate the sporting landscape. But with the men’s national team turning heads on the world stage, there is growing belief that the tide could soon change.
The breakthrough came on Sunday, when Czechia swept Tunisia, 25-19, 25-18, 25-23, in the Round of 16 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. The win not only sent the team to the quarterfinals but also guaranteed its best-ever finish since the split of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Since the separation, Czechia had placed 19th in 1998, 13th in both 2002 and 2006, and 10th in 2010, before missing three straight editions of the tournament. That history made this year’s achievement all the more rewarding for the team.
Galabov, who tallied 13 points in the victory over Tunisia, believes the run could inspire greater appreciation for volleyball in the country and open the doors to a stronger fan base.
“Yeah, that’s true,” said Galabov, who finished with 13 points in the win. “Honestly, volleyball isn’t really a popular sport in the Czech Republic. There’s not a huge fan base.”
“But I really hope that with the historic successes we’re bringing home, more people will start following volleyball. I really wish for that to happen,” he added.
That energy has also been reflected off the court. Opposite hitter Patrik Indra took time after the match to meet with Czech supporters who showed up in Manila, some of whom traveled thousands of kilometers from Europe just to cheer on the squad.
“We really appreciate this because, you know, the Czech Republic is many thousands of kilometers away. Some of them live here, some of them came from the Czech Republic, so we appreciate everybody,” Indra said.
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