Earvin Ngapeth Returns to Tours Volleyball for Two-Year Contract, Aiming for 2028 Olympics

French volleyball star Earvin Ngapeth, a double Olympic champion, has signed a two-year contract with Tours Volleyball (TVB), marking his return to the club where he began his professional career in 2008. After years abroad in Italy, Russia, and Turkey—most recently with Fenerbahçe—Ngapeth's move back to France is intended to prepare him for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. At 35, Ngapeth expressed his pride in coming back to Tours, saying it is "an honor to return where it all started for me," emphasizing that the club was "the first that believed in me."

Ngapeth's track record includes winning a French championship in 2010 and two French Cups (2011, 2020) with Tours, as well as amassing 24 titles throughout his career. His return coincides with Tours' ambition to reclaim its place among European volleyball elites after falling short of the quarter-finals in recent seasons. Club president François Bruneau underlined the signing's importance, noting it both strengthens the team's competitive aspirations and raises the visibility of Tours and French volleyball.

Ngapeth aims to reconnect with the French public and engage fully in a high-performance project leading up to the 2028 Games. His return to Tours also comes after a brief period with Stade Poitevin soon after the Paris 2024 Olympics, underscoring his long-term focus on Olympic success.