WARSAW, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Poland's Wilfredo Leon will miss the FIVB Men's World Championship 2022 due to a knee injury, the Polish Volleyball Federation confirmed on Thursday evening.
"After a medical consultation and a series of talks between the coach, staff and doctors, it was decided that adding Wilfredo Leon to the team for the World Cup would be too risky," the federation said.
The Cuban-born receiver was fighting against time to perform in the tournament, which will be played in Poland and Slovenia from Aug. 26 to Sept. 11. At the beginning of June, the 29-year-old underwent an operation that was supposed to keep him out for up to three months.
The Polish Volleyball Federation expressed its gratitude to Wilfredo Leon and all the people involved for making every effort to ensure that he returns to the pitch as soon as possible.
Leon's absence undermines the chances of the Polish team defending their world champion title. However, President of the Polish Volleyball Federation Sebastian Swiderski emphasized that they had no choice.
"The health of the players is the most important thing. We have to respect the decision of the medical staff. I believe that only healthy players, who are able to give their best, can play in the tournament", he told Polish media on Thursday. ■
