Yoandy Leal

Volleyball player

Yoandy Leal
Leal in 2019
Personal information
Full nameYoandy Leal Hidalgo
NationalityCuban
Brazilian (since 2015)
Born (1988-08-31) 31 August 1988 (age 35)
Havana, Cuba
Height2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight105 kg (231 lb)
Spike371 cm (146 in)
Block348 cm (137 in)
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Current clubGas Sales Piacenza
Number17
Career
YearsTeams
2012–2017
2018–2021
2021–2022
2022–		Sada Cruzeiro
Volley Lube
Modena Volley
Gas Sales Piacenza
National team
2007–2010
2019–		 Cuba
 Brazil

Yoandy Leal Hidalgo (born 31 August 1988) is a volleyball player who plays as a wing-spiker for Italian club Gas Sales Piacenza.[1] Born in Cuba, he is a former member of the Cuban national volleyball team (2007–2010), and currently represents Brazil (since 2019) after gaining Brazilian citizenship in June 2015.

Leal played four years with the Cuban national team, debuting at the 2007 FIVB Volleyball Men's U21 World Championship. In the 2008 World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Düsseldorf that would give a spot at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Cuba did not qualify, finishing second to hosts Germany, but Leal was chosen Best Spiker and Server of the championship. His last tournament with Cuba was the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, where Leal won the silver medal.

Still pursuing his dream of playing in the Olympics, Leal left Cuba in 2010, establishing himself as a volleyball star in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. After two years of not playing, Leal signed with local team Sada Cruzeiro. Soon he was a vital part of the team, winning two editions each of the Brazilian Superligas, South American Championships, and FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship. Leal started his naturalization process in 2013, and in 2015 he was given Brazilian nationality. Afterward, he contacted the International Volleyball Federation to see how soon he could play for Brazil's national team, as team coach Bernardo Rezende already expressed interest in having Leal in the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[2] He joined the Brazilian national team in 2019.

Sporting achievements

Clubs

Individual awards

References

  1. ^ "Modena Volley | Prima Squadra". www.modenavolley.it (in Italian). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  2. ^ 'Sei que posso ajudar' , Estado de Minas (in Portuguese)
  3. ^ volleyballworld.com. "Giannelli claims World Championship MVP award". volleyballworld.com. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yoandy Leal.
  • Player profile at CEV.eu
  • Player profile at LegaVolley.it
  • Player profile at Volleybox.net
  • Player profile at WorldofVolley.com


Awards
Preceded by Most Valuable Player of
FIVB Club World Championship
2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Best Outside Spiker of
FIVB Club World Championship
2016
ex aequo Cuba Wilfredo León 		Succeeded by
Cuba Wilfredo León
Brazil Yoandy Leal
Preceded by Best Outside Spiker of
FIVB Nations League
Rimini 2021
(with Poland Michał Kubiak) 		Succeeded by
Brazil squads
  • v
  • t
  • e
Brazil squad – 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup – Gold medal
Brazil
  • v
  • t
  • e
Brazil men's volleyball squad – 2020 Summer Olympics
Brazil