The U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball National Team is preparing to host the seven-team Tokyo 2020 Men’s Final Paralympic Qualification Tournament March 16-21 at its training headquarters in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Along with the USA, participating teams are Canada, Croatia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Ukraine. The Americans are ranked seventh in the world by World ParaVolley, the second highest ranked team in the field behind fifth-ranked Ukraine. Germany is ranked eighth, Kazakhstan is 10th, Canada is 16th, Croatia at 17th and Latvia at 23rd.

USA heads Pool A with Kazakhstan and Canada. Pool A matches will be scheduled at 4:30 p.m. CT on March 16-18. Pool B has Ukraine, Germany, Croatia and Latvia. Pool B matches are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. March 16-18. After an off day, semifinal matches will be played on March 20 at 2:45 p.m. 4:30 p.m. The gold-medal match is set for March 21 at 2:45 p.m. after the bronze-medal match at 1 p.m.

Matches are being held at the UCO Wellness Center and are open to the public with free admission. All matches will also be streamed live on www.usavolleyball.org.

The tournament winner earns the final spot into the eight-team 2020 Paralympic Games field. Already qualified are hosts Japan, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Brazil, China and Egypt. Russia’s spot into the Paralympic Games is pending the lifting of its suspension against Russia’s national Paralympic committee.

Tokyo 2020 Men’s Final Paralympic Qualification Tournament Pools
Pool A: USA, Kazahkstan, Canada
Pool B: Ukraine, Germany, Croatia, Latvia

Tokyo 2020 Men’s Final Paralympic Qualification Tournament Schedule (all times CT/Local)
March 16: Ukraine (B1) vs Croatia (B3), 1 p.m.
March 16: Germany (B2) vs Latvia (B4), 2:45 p.m.
March 16: USA (A1) vs Canada (A3), 4:30 p.m.

March 17: Ukraine (B1) vs Germany (B2), 1 p.m.
March 17: Croatia (B3) vs Latvia (B4), 2:45 p.m.
March 17: Kazakhstan (A2) vs Canada (A3), 4:30 p.m.

March 18: Ukraine (B1) vs Latvia (B4), 1 p.m.
March 18: Germany (B2) vs Croatia (B3), 2:45 p.m.
March 18: USA (A1) vs Kazakhstan (A2), 4:30 p.m.

March 20: 3rd Place A vs. 4th Place B (5th-7th Classification), 1 p.m.
March 20: 1st Place B vs. 2nd Place A (Semifinal), 2:45 p.m.
March 20: 1st Place A vs. 2nd Place B (Semifinal), 4:30 p.m.

March 21: 5th-6th Place, 10 a.m.
March 21: Semifinal Losers (Bronze Medal), 1 p.m.
March 21: Semifinal Winners (Gold Medal), 2:45 p.m.