Third edition of the CAVB-Africa Zone V Club Championship is set to make a grand return with a record number of entries from across the region.

The tournament, which did not take place in 2024, will be staged in Kampala, Uganda, from February 26 to March 4, 2025, at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium and Old Kampala Sports Arena.

Zone V comprises 12 countries: Kenya, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Tanzania and hosts Uganda, all of which have clubs listed for the tournament. Defending champions Rwanda and Kenya will be seeking to retain their respective titles.

At least 20 teams have already confirmed participation in the championship. Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chairman Joseph Odong expressed gratitude to the Ugandan government for supporting the event.

“We are ready to give fans a memorable experience during the six-day competition,” he said.

This will be the second major volleyball championship hosted in Kampala following multiple cancellations between 2019 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As a zone, our goal is to organize a cost-friendly event for clubs in the region while providing maximum exposure for our athletes,” said Sadik Nasiwu, president of CAVB Zone V and the Uganda Volleyball Federation.

The first edition of the tournament took place in 2019, with Gisagara Volleyball Club emerging as champions.

In a bid to enhance officiating standards, Referee Delegate Innocent Komakech revealed that national referees will be involved as scorers and court managers, while officiating duties will be handled exclusively by international referees.

Among the confirmed teams are defending champions Kenya Pipeline (women), who remain Kenya’s sole representatives. Uganda will field five men’s teams (Nemostars, Sport-S, KAVC and US Doves) and four women’s teams (Sport-S, KCCA, Vision Volleyball Camp, Ndejje University Elites and KCB-Nkumba).