Referee Nello Calleja has been appointed by World ParaVolley as one of the referees for the Sitting Volleyball World Championships, to be played in Elblag, Poland, between June 15 and 21.

Calleja will be in a team of 30 referees coming from all parts of the globe. They will be officiating matches during the competition which is held every four years.

Calleja, also general secretary of the newly-founded ParaVolley Malta, will represent his organi-sation during a World ParaVolley general assembly taking place next month in Elblag.

The 16 teams in the men’s tournament will be divided into four groups, with Poland, Algeria, Ukraine and China in Group A, Iran, Iraq, Egypt and US in Group B, Bosnia, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Croatia in Group C, and Group D will be composed of Russia, Germany, Morocco and the Netherlands.

Iran won the championship four years ago in Oklahoma but went down to Bosnia two years ago in the London 2012 Paralympics final.

In the women’s competition, the 12 participating teams will be split in two groups.

Poland, US, Slovenia, Finland, Great Britain and Russia are in Group A and China, Ukraine, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands will fight it out in Group B.

China, the world and Olympic champions, start as favourites for the women’s title but runners-up US and current European champions Russia, both stand a good chance of repeating or improving on their performances of four years ago.

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