Bronze medal finish has started driving Poles to gold in 2027
Poland vows to bounce back when it hosts the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in 2027, a declaration made after a failed title redemption tour in the Philippines, where a bronze has, this early, motivated the Poles.
Less than 24 hours after falling to defending champion Italy in straight sets in the semifinal, Wilfredo Leon poured in 26 points to lead Poland to a vengeful 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21 win over Czechia for its first-ever bronze in the global meet on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
It was bittersweet for Leon, who wanted to win gold after he missed the 2022 edition due to an injury when Poland was dethroned by Italy back home.
But it was still a great experience for Leon and the Poles in Manila, where Filipino fans and their fellow countrymen supported their campaign.
“The experience here is always very good for me,” Leon said. “I love it because we have nice weather. The people are cheering for us. The fans are alright. And I cannot wait to see the next tournament here.”
The 32-year-old, Cuban-born spiker, who was naturalized in 2015 and cleared to play for Poland in 2019, is eager to bounce back at home, charging their semifinal heartbreaker to experience.
“For sure, I will be very motivated. Especially that we will be in Poland,” Leon said. “I hope I will have another opportunity to show up one more time myself.
“Hopefully, with more experience,” he went on. “We lost (in the semifinals)—this is something we need to study.”
Kamil Semeniuk, who scored six points playing in the first two sets, also looks forward to playing at home, but also relished his time here in Manila.
“It’s good news for us. We don’t have to go on a long trip like here in the Philippines,” Semeniuk said. “Obviously, it was really nice here, with good fans all the time. But it’s always good to play in your country with your fans, so we for sure are happy.
“But it’s the future,” he said. “Now we have a season in the club, then next season in the national team, then next tournament. So step by step, we will be focused on the new objective.”
Kewin Sasak chipped in 11 points for the Volleyball Nations League champions, while Szymon Jakubiszak also stepped up with nine points.
Poland still played without Bartosz Kurek, reportedly due to abdominal pain.
Despite missing out on a medal, Czechia still had a historic World Championship comeback after 15 years, making its first semifinals as an independent nation.
Lukas Vasina carried the Czechs with 19 points, while Patrik Indra added 11.
