2005 Junior Women s World Championship draw announced

Transcription

1 N o 133 March 2005 English edition FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL 2005 Junior Women s World Championship draw announced The Drawing of Lots for the preliminary round of the 2005 Women s U- 20 World Championship, to be held in Turkey from 23 to 31 July, took place on March 22 in Ankara, Turkey in the presence of Mr. Mehmet Atalay, Turkish Youth and Sport Director, Dr. Hüsnü Can, President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation, Mr. Yuri Chesnokov, FIVB Executive Vice President and numerous other dignitaries, guests, journalists and television crews. A total of 12 teams will compete in two pools in two different cities. Pool A, composed of Turkey, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro, United States, Japan and Brazil will play in Ankara, and, made up of Italy, Russia, Egypt, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and China will compete in Istanbul. This promises to be an exciting event since these are all young budding athletes working their way towards the 2006 World Championships in Japan as well as the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, stated Dr. Rubén Acosta, FIVB President The fact that they are all emerging future champions adds an element of surprise, the favourites not having been singled out yet. These women are the players of the future and we are looking forward to the unfolding of their skills and strength as they compete in Ankara and Istanbul in July, said Mr. Franz Schmied, FIVB Sports consultant. Results of the Drawing of lots of the 2005 U-20 Junior Women s World Championship Place and date: Turkey 23 to 31 July 2005 Pool A: Brazil, USA, Croatia, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro, Japan : China, Puerto Rico, Russia, Italy, Egypt, Dominican Republic MATCH SCHEDULE 23 July - Pool A BRA vs. JPN, USA vs. SCG, CRO vs. TUR RUS vs. PUR, EGY vs. CHN, DOM vs. ITA 24 July - Pool A JPN vs. TUR, SCG vs. CRO, BRA vs. USA PUR vs. ITA, CHN vs. DOM, RUS vs. EGY 25 July - Pool A USA vs. JPN, CRO vs. BRA, TUR vs. SCG EGY vs. PUR, DOM vs. RUS, ITA vs. CHN 27 July - Pool A JPN vs. SCG, BRA vs. TUR, USA vs. CRO PUR vs. CHN, RUS vs. ITA, EGY vs. DOM 28 July - Pool A CRO vs. JPN, TUR vs. USA, SCG vs. BRA DOM vs. PUR, ITA vs. EGY, CHN vs. RUS VOLLEYBALL 2006 Men s World Championship - AVC Results of the First Round Pool C in Cebu, Philippines Date Teams Set Result per set (points) Total Points Mar PHI - MAC :16 02-Mar INA - TGA :01 03-Mar MAC - TGA :18 03-Mar TPE - PHI :16 04-Mar TPE - TGA :07 04-Mar MAC - INA :10 05-Mar MAC - TPE :03 05-Mar PHI - INA :01 06-Mar INA - TPE :34 06-Mar PHI - TGA :55 Time 2006 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS All eyes on Africa with first final round tickets on offer The international Volleyball family will focus all its attention on Egypt to see which two African teams will claim the first two men s and women s tickets on offer for a spot in the 2006 World Championships final round in Japan when first and second round tournaments take place in Cairo from March Starting on March 17, a three-day African women s first round tournament begins while one week later, on March 24, an African men s second round tournament starts with both tournament winners claiming the distinguished honour of being the first teams to advance through to the final round of the 2006 World Championships in Japan. As hosts, the Japanese men s and women s teams have automatically received a final round spot, along with the defending champions ñ the Brazilian men and Italian women s teams. A total of 48 teams 24 men and 24 women will compete in the final round. The two African tournaments, which have attracted unprecedented television coverage from the likes of Egyptian TV, Egyptian Satellite Channel and Nile sports channel, will confirm the first two teams to claim one of the five men s and women s final round vacancies on offer for Africa. Of the 44 final round vacancies (remembering the Japanese and Brazilian men s teams and the Japanese and Italian women s teams have automatically received a final round berth) they are divided up into the following: Africa 5, Asia 9, Norceca 10, South America 4 and Europe 16. Both tournaments will feature four teams each: - Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana in the women s tournament while Egypt, Cameroon, RD Congo and Sudan face off in the men s competition. Egypt will face Sudan a second time for the berth to the WC in Japan 2006 Find out more at

2 Volleyball 2006 MEN S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Chinese Taipei heads off Indonesia for tournament honours Having already secured the two tickets on offer to advance to the second round of the 2006 Men s Volleyball World Championships, Chinese Taipei and Indonesia fought out an exhilarating four-set match at the first round tournament (Asia Pool C) in Cebu City, Philippines, with Chinese Taipei winning the competition with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 26-24) victory. The match was an effective final for tournament honours with over 5,000 passionate fans in attendance and it was Chinese Taipei, ranked 39th on the FIVB rankings, who prevailed over a side ranked two places lower than them. Having won the first two sets comfortably Chinese Taipei were caught napping in the third when Indonesia pulled a set back as the match went past the hour mark. But Chinese Taipei soon rectified things again and it wasn t long after that they were celebrating their first round tournament win. Final standings for Asia Pool C: Chinese Taipei (second round qualifier), Indonesia (second round qualifier), the Philippines, Macau and Tonga. Chinese Taipei will now head to Kazakhstan to play the hosts, Korea and another first round qualifier in a second round tournament in Almaty from June Indonesia, meanwhile, plays India, China and another first round qualifier in a second round tournament in Chennai from June This Asia Pool C is the third 2006 Men s Volleyball World Championship tournament to have been played with England and Sudan having already qualified for the second round in earlier tournaments. The next men s tournament is an Africa Pool D Second Round Tournament in Cairo, Egypt from March with Egypt, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan playing off for a ticket to the final round in Japan. VOLLEYBALL St. Lucia gearing up for largest ever festival of elite Volleyball The St. Lucia Volleyball Association is pulling out all the stops to make sure they can progress as far as possible at the 2006 Men s World Championships in what they have branded the largest ever festival of elite Volleyball. President Brian Louisy says a major effort will be made to make sure their overseas players will be available for a Norceca first round tournament in Trinidad, from May 23-29, 2005 when Trinidad & Tobago hosts, Anguilla, St. Kitts, Dominica and St. Lucia as part of the St. Lucia s determination to take the sport of Volleyball to the next level. Louisy explained that the 2006 World Championship journey is the Association s big venture for 2005, and called on everyone who was interested in the sport to help it on the road to Japan. The chances of making it all the way are slim, but not impossible, Louisy said. We have to defeat many a goliath along the way but we know that we have great sling shots with us and we will be prepared. We are seeking technical assistance to help prepare the team, he said. Our plan also includes inviting our good friend Paul Brasson, FIVB Coaching Instructor, to assist us. The winner of the first round tournament in Trinidad will advance to a second round tournament in Cuba, where a ticket to the final round in Japan in 2006 will be on offer. Meanwhile, President of the St. Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC), Richard Peterkin, noted that the FIVB Mini School Volleyball Programme is one method of how SLOC and the Volleyball Association can work together to encourage more young people in school and in the communities to practice a sport, and at the same time introduce them to competitive Volleyball. The programme is a new approach to the teaching and playing of Volleyball, which is designed for physical education classes; uses simplified techniques; is adaptable to facilities; and focuses in on learning through preparation. We need to find more programmes like this that will encourage physical activity, bring children, parents, teachers and community leaders together on a regular basis, and promote the value of teamwork, fair play, goodwill and healthy lifestyles, Peterkin said. VOLLEYBALL Substantial Funding for Volleyball in England Soon after the successful hosting of the 1st Round of the FIVB World Championships in Sheffield, Volleyball England have received a significant boost from the English Government Sport body. The grant of 417,000 per year (EUR 607,000) per year represents a doubling of the yearly grant assigned to Volleyball over the last 10 years. What is significant about this funding is that for the first time it is guaranteed for a four year period rather than on a year by year basis. This allows Volleyball England to develop and implement a longer term vision for Volleyball that was previously unattainable. Volleyball England s Whole Sport Plan is based on increasing numbers of people participating in Volleyball, particularly at grassroots level and will mean new and improved programs to support Club, Coach and Volunteer development. Volleyball England s Marketing Director Greg Brown said, In a climate where many sports have received significant funding cuts this sends out a very positive message about Volleyball and the sport s future in England. We want to thank the FIVB, specially its President, Dr. Rubén Acosta, for the substantial support provided to us in promoting the growth of Volleyball in our country. List of 2006 World Championships events in April and May 2005 Gender Round Confed. Pool Starting on: Ending on: City Country Participants Men 1 CAVB B Durban South Africa South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius Women 1 NORCECA A Kingston Jamaica Dutch Antilles, Jamaica, Cayman Isl., British Virgin Isl. Women 1 CAVB C Vacoas Mauritius Mauritius, Tunisia, Cameroon, Uganda Women 1 CEV C Saint-Dié France France, Finland, Norway, Bosnia Herzegovina, Belgium Men 1 AVC B Nakhonpathom Thailand Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan Women 1 CEV D Tallinn Estonia Estonia, Israel, Bosnia Herzegovina, Albania Women 1 CEV B Santo Tirso Portugal Portugal, Austria, Slovak Republic, Belarus, Slovenia Men 1 CEV C Tulcea Romania Romania, Belgium, Norway, Belarus Men 1 CSV A Mar del Plata Argentina Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay Men 1 CSV B Caracas Venezuela Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru Women 1 NORCECA C Guatemala City Guatemala Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico Men 1 CEV B Tiszaujvaros Hungary Hungary, Slovenia, Moldova, Azerbaijan Men 2 CEV E Varna Bulgaria Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovak Republic, 1st C 2 FIVB X-Press No 133 March 2005

3 Beach Volleyball BEACH VOLLEYBALL Swatch-FIVB World Tour comes back to Mexico BEACH VOLLEYBALL German Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schröder patronizes Berlin Beach Volleyball event The FIVB has the pleasure of informing that Mexico will be hosting the 15th stop of the Swatch-FIVB World Tour from 28 October-1st November 2005 in Acapulco. I have cherished this dream for a long time. It is unbelievable that having the most beautiful beaches in the world, we hadn t held such an event every year in to the FIVB calender, said Dr. Rubén Acosta, President of the FIVB during a press conference held in Mexico City. One of the main objectives is to maintain this event of the Swatch-FIVB World Tour permanently in México, receiving the best 64 teams of the world in Acapulco each year, said Mr. Camacho, promoter of the event. The 2005 Swatch-FIVB World Tour has found a permanent site in Acapulco, Guerrero, since local and state authorities decided to support and facilitate the organisation of the event. We have always considered Acapulco as the most important harbour in México. As our first reference it has been consolidated as the most visited resort by national and international tourists. That s why it s a pride and a great responsibility for the State of Guerrero that the promoters and the FIVB have chosen our city for such an important event, concluded the Secretary of Tourism, Mr. Ernesto Rodríguez. During the press conference in Mexico The German Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schröder expressed his excitement about the 2005 Beach Volleyball Swatch-FIVB World Championships powered by Smart to be held in Berlin on June. He showed his enthusiasm by accepting to be the patron of this big sport s event during a recent visit to the chancery made by a delegation of the organising committee and German Beach Volleyball players. The FIVB and its President, Dr. Rubén Acosta received this news with pride. The World of Beach Volleyball is very honoured that the German Chancellor has accepted to be the patron of this major event. We are very grateful to him for that, said Dr. Acosta. BEACH VOLLEYBALL Swiss Olympic honours Beach Volleyball Swiss Olympic - the umbrella organisation for Swiss sports comprising 81 national federations - has decided to substantially increase its contributions to Beach Volleyball. The FIVB is delighted with the decision, because it honours Beach Volleyball through the Swiss players who have distinguished themselves in our sport, and implicitly recognises its enormous potential for development. Every four years, after the Olympic Games, Swiss Olympic re-examines the classification of summer sports. Due to the results of their athletes and their hard work, primarily with the younger generations, four federations - Beach Volleyball, men s artistic gymnastics, triathlon, and orienteering - have reached the highest category. After the visit to the chancery M. Schröder who had enjoyed the broadcast of the Beach Volleyball during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens is very proud of the fact that Germany will have the opportunity to host the 2005 World Championships. Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel, bronze medalists in Athens 2004 The FIVB wants to highlight the fact that Beach Volleyball has experienced extraordinary development around the globe over the last few years and particularly in Switzerland. One of the highlights is the tournament in Gstaad - an event of the Swatch-FIVB World Tour. It is also in Gstaad, where one of the stages of the 2006 Grand Slam and the 2007 World Championships are planned. Additionally, Switzerland numbers several highly talented players European champions Nicole Schnyder-Benoît and Simone Kuhn, the Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobi Kobel duo, bronze-medal winners at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and the Laciga brothers, to mention just a few. The excellent news published by Swiss Olympic demonstrates the fabulous growth of Beach Volleyball, both in its popularity and the success of Swiss players.a stated Mr. Jean-Pierre Seppey, FIVB General Manager. Beach Volleyball in the Swiss Alps in Gstaad is each year an important event of the Swatch-FIVB World Tour FIVB X-Press N o 133 March

4 Beach Volleyball News BEACH VOLLEYBALL NEWS Dumont and Martin dissolve their partnership and will be pursuing with different partners After an amazing run that saw Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin claim three consecutive Canadian Beach Volleyball titles, move up the ranks of the Swatch- FIVB World Tour and place a Canadian best ever 5th at the Olympics in Athens, the pair announced that they have dissolved their partnership and will be pursuing their Beach future with different partners, because their athletic and personal objectives are not the same anymore. They will both compete in the 2005 FIVB World Tour. Dumont will be teaming up in a few select events with Caroline Fiset a young aspiring beach player from Laval University, while Martin will be playing full-time with University of Sherbrooke teammate Marie-Christine Pruneau. Pruneau, a 21-year-old Windsor native, was the CIS Rookie of the Year and played a key role in the Vert et Or s claiming of the National Title. Both athletes and their new counterparts will compete on the Beach Volleyball World Tour when the top players come back to Montreal from August 16-21, BEACH VOLLEYBALL NEWS First Men s Open of the Swatch-FIVB World Tour in Dubai UAE For the first time ever, the United Arab Emirates will play host to a key Men s Beach Volleyball tournament within the context of the Swatch-FIVB World Tour. Held from 14 to 18 November, the Dubai Beach Volleyball Open will rank among this year s top events thanks to the participation of the best teams in the world. Mr. Jean-Paul Boutibou, President of ABJAD Sports & Events, the organiser, took part in a working meeting held at the FIVB headquarters early March with Mr. Jean-Pierre Seppey, FIVB General Manager, Mr. Angelo Squeo, FIVB Beach Volleyball coordinator, and several of their colleagues. Twelve years after the successful staging of the Challenger Event, Beach Volleyball has finally made a comeback in Dubai. The Beach Volleyball community entertains high hopes for this tournament, which should have a strong and positive impact, according to the President of the FIVB, Dr. Rubén Acosta. Dumont and Martin celebrate a point in Shanghai For me, the Dubai Open is a key international event because it will open new doors for Beach Volleyball in Arab countries. I truly hope that it will create future opportunities for Women s Beach Volleyball as well. In fact, I am convinced that it will be a major milestone in the history of Beach Volleyball. BEACH VOLLEYBALL NEWS The Australian Golden Girls meet the World Champion of the F1 for a half set as fun exhibition It was all for fun, but Natalie Cook, one of Australia s Golden Girl, and seventime Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher posted a win in Australia at the Vodafone Ferrari Beach Volleyball Sand Storm Challenge on St. Kilda Beach. Kerri Pottharst, a two-time Olympic Beach Volleyball medalist with Cook, and Schumacher s fellow Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil dropped a 7-5 match to Cook and Schumacher as the drivers swapped the tarmac for sand prior to Sunday s first Formula One race of 2005 in central Melbourne. Nicole Sanderson, who teamed with Cook to place fourth at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, refereed the match. Cook and Pottharst won the women s Sydney 2000 Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medal together after capturing the bronze medal together at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games. It was great. It s always fantastic to do a sport where you have professional people around you because they simply raise the game and the level and it makes it a lot more fun, said Schumacher. More than 30,000 tons of sand has been dumped on St. Kilda Beach for the exhibition sponsored by Vodafone, who also backed the 2005 Australian Beach Volleyball Tour. The huge load, known as triple-washed white sand, was laid after the popular beach was washed away in last month s cyclone. Schumacher and Barrichello with Australia s Golden Girls 4 FIVB X-Press No 133 March 2005

5 Confederations News Pan Am Cup dedicated to Dominican Republic s First Lady The IV Women s Volleyball Pan American Cup, the main annual women s event of the Norceca Confederation, to take place in June 8-19 will be dedicated to Dr. Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, the First Lady of the Dominican Republic. She has a Doctorate in Law from the University of Santo Domingo and Mastered in Economic Legislation at the Madre y Maestra Catholic University. She also has participated in courses and seminars at Georgegtown and Harvard University in the United States and Geneva University in Switzerland. The Office of Dr. Cedeno de Fernandez Chinese Women and Head Coaches receive awards The head coach of the Chinese National Women s Team, Chen Zhonghe and former head coach Yuan Weimin, received Awards from the 2005 China Top Sports Figure Glory in the Chinese Southeastern city of Shenzhen on March 16. The Chinese women s team won the Best Team Award. The team claimed the World Cup Title in 2003 and won the Athens Olympic Games Gold Medal in 2004, the first in 20 years after the Los Angeles Olympic Games in Head coach Chen Zhonghe was selected as the Best Coach. Chen became the head coach of the Chinese National Women s team in 2001 and two years later led the team to the World Cup title followed by the Olympic Gold Medal in Chen was once more appointed as the head coach of the Chinese Team early this year. He has expressed his confidence that the team is now aiming at conquering the sport s top honors in the next three years. Yuan Weimin, 65, a former Volleyball player for the Chinese Men s National team in the 60 s, won the Lifetime Achievement Award. Yuan became the head coach of the Chinese Women s team after his retirement from the men s team, leading the women to reap all the major titles in the world Volleyball during the 80s. Yuan is also former AVC President and was a member of the FIVB Board of Administration. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Sports in 1984, and became Chief of State General Administrator of Sports in 2002 before he retired in coordinates social policies of the government of her husband Dr. Leonel Fernandez, generating programs of health and education for children, young people, single mothers and the family, in general, as a key element in society. The proceeds of the Pan American Cup will be destined to the anti-drugs programs of the Council within underprivileged neighbourhoods communities around the Dominican Republic. The Pan American Cup, will take place in Santo Domingo. The top twelve teams from North, South America and the Caribbean will compete in Santo Domingo looking for a berth in the 2006 World Grand Prix. These teams are Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, USA and Venezuela. The twelve squads will play in two pools and two different venues both in the capital of the Dominican Republic. The new San Marino Volleyball Federation The San Marino Volleyball Federation (FSPAV) is pleased to announce its 2005 ñ 2008 programme as well as the names of the recently elected Board members: Mr. Carlo Ennio Morri, President, Mr. Alessandro Della Balda, Vice President, Mrs. Alessandra Renzi General Secretary, Mrs. Veronica Mini Treasurer, and Mr. Lino Zonzini, Mrs. Antonella Della Balda and Mr. Ivan Maiani, Members. Among the various programmes adopted is the creation of a Volleyball School for the training of top class players, sport managers and referees. The goal is to guarantee a generation renewal, a greater representation of San Marino on International competitions and different kinds of events, good Media relations, greater collaboration with Volleyball Clubs and the creation of a project which will enhance the relationship between FSPAV and San Marino s Schools. As done previously, the FSPAV and the Primary Schools of San Marino are organizing a big tournament called I like Minivolley, with the participation of 4th and 5th primary school classes (ages 10-11). The main objective is to help children discover their skills through a fun approach of Volleyball movements and enhancing positive interaction with their peers while learning and respecting the rules of the game. The programme involves 14 Primary Schools, and the participation of 562 children. The FSPAV is seeking to develop Mini-volley and is fully committed to spreading the sport in the schools. Dane Selznick finalist for USOC National Coach of the Year Award Dane Selznick, who helped guide Misty May and Kerri Walsh to the first Olympic gold medal in USA women s Beach Volleyball history last summer, is one of five finalists for the USA Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year Award. The National Coach of the Year Award along with honors for Developmental Coach of the Year, Volunteer Coach of the Year and the Doc Counsilman Science Award will be presented during the USOC Coach of the Year Recognition Banquet at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, May 1st. The other four finalists include Mike Candrea (Casa Grande, Arizona, Softball), April Heinrichs (Gainesville, Virginia. Soccer), Yevgeny Marchenko (Plano, Texas Gymnastics) and Eddie Reese (Austin, Texas, Swimming). Mr. Selznick, has been a pioneer in the Beach coaching development in the United States and around the world for more than 12 years. He has trained more than 160 domestic international professionals, including 25 Olympians. He has also worked in the entertainment business for the past 28 years as a technical coordinator and advisor on volleyballrelated movies and commercials. CSV Congress elects its President and the Executive Committee The 58th Congress of the South-American Volleyball Confederation, which took place at the beginning of March in Rio de Janeiro, reelected by acclamation the current President Ary Graça Filho and the Executive Committee, formed by Rafael Lloreda (COL), Ricardo Vorphal (CHI), Roberto Escobar (PAR), Judith Rodriguez (VEN) and Renata Araujo Lopez Blauth (BRA), for another mandate until Beach Volleyball also deserved highlights. Carlos Souto recalled the modality can be the shortest way for countries still away from the world scenario to reach the fight for titles. The 58th Ordinary Congress of the South American Volleyball Confederation paid homage to two names that have dedicated and still dedicate great part of their lives to sport. Rafael Lloreda, President of the Colombian Volleyball Federation and member of the CVS s Executive Board Brazilian Célio Cordeiro, President of the Coaching Commission. FIVB X-Press N o 133 March

6 Confederations News Volleyball at School in Austria: a Model for Success The FIVB went to Austria in mid-march to discover the national Volleyball at school programme, an endeavour that helps develop our sport among young people. The highly original Austrian programme deserves close attention. With the happy crowds, the drums beating out the rhythm of the points, and trendy music during time-outs, it could have been the finals of a Beach Volleyball tournament. And yet there was nothing special about the match being played. The teams were so uneven that every one knew who was going to win. Aon Hotvolley, the team of the City of Vienna Privileged moments for the young Austrians came to see the match and partner in the Volleyball at school programme, swept the match in three easy sets. In fact, it was the Volleyball at school programme that attracted the crowds, including the Deputy Mayor of Vienna, representatives of the Ministry of Education, journalists, and sponsors. But above all, there were the thousands of children sporting green and white, the colours of the main sponsor, invited by the winning club. Each school group consisted of one teacher and 12 children. At the entrance, each group received a bag containing, among other things, a coach s T-shirt for the teacher and 12 T-shirts for the children with the names and numbers of the Aon Hotvolley team players. This made the children feel more like participants in the match they were watching. Government involvement This event is part of the programme set up in Austria to encourage school children to play Volleyball. Another strong point of this programme is the Schülerliga, a national competition organised by the government under its policy aiming to promote sports, in which the boys play soccer and the girls play Volleyball. In 2004, nearly 400 schools out of 1700 in Austria had under-15 girls teams playing in the Schülerliga. The Austrian Federation also organises Volleyball and Beach Volleyball competitions every year for the different age groups from 13 to 19. The Beach Volleyball Championships are intentionally more recreational and attract large numbers of students. The Federation hopes that once the youngsters are seriously involved in Beach Volleyball, some of them will switch over to Volleyball, which is perceived as much more demanding. Up to age 13, the game is played with reduced teams. The goal is to accustom the children to playing sports, as well as to develop their skills both for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. For young children, the balls, net and rules are modified according to their capabilities. One significant challenge facing the Austrian National Federation is motivating the teachers, who until now were paid by the government for each lesson given outside of normal class hours. Now the Federation will have to find clever ways to get teachers involved, and encourage its clubs to build good relations with schools, a long and difficult task. The FIVB supports the efforts undertaken in Austria, which serve the interests of Volleyball and young people, as well as the sports policy developed by the Austrian government. Autographs are signed at the end of the match The enthusiasm of a group of young supporters 6 FIVB X-Press No 133 March 2005

7 Development News DEVELOPMENT NEWS History and evolution of the game named Volleyball through three centuries... In this edition of the X-Press newsletter as well as in the next one, the FIVB is pleased to invite our readers to discover the general guidelines of the history, the game and the technical jargon of Volleyball. History Volleyball has come a long way from the dusty-old YMCA gymnasium of Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA, where visionary, William G. Morgan, invented the YMCA gymnasium of Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA sport back in It has seen the start of two centuries and the dawn of a new millennium. Volleyball is now one of the big five international sports, and the FIVB, with its 218 affiliated national federations, is the largest international sporting federation in the world. Over the last decade particularly, Volleyball has witnessed unprecedented growth. With the success of its world competition such as the World Championships, Olympic Games, the US15$ million World League, Grand Prix, World Cup, and World Grand Champions Cup, the level of participation at all levels internationally continues to grow exponentially. The Beach Volleyball phenomenon, although hugely visible, is still just in its infancy. From the first FIVB World Tour event just over ten years ago, to the overwhelming spectator and television success of Beach at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Beach Volleyball has opened up Volleyball to a completely new market. The Game Volleyball is a complex game of simple skills. The ball is hit First Olympic Games in London 1948 from up to 60 cm above the height of a basketball hoop - that s about 3.65 m - and takes 0.3 sec to get from the spiker to the baseline receiver. That means the receiver must assess the incoming angle, decide where to pass the ball and then control the pass in the blinking of an eye. A purely rebound sport (you can t hold the ball), Volleyball is a game of constant motion. A team can touch the ball three times on its side of the net. The usual pattern is a dig (an underarm pass made with the forearms), a set (an overhead pass made with the hands) and a spike (the overhead attacking shot). The ball is served into play. Teams can also try to block the opponent s spike as it crosses the net. A block into your own court counts as one of your three touches in Beach Volleyball, but not in Volleyball. Power and height have become vital components of international teams, but the ability of teams and coaches to devise new strategies, tactics and skills has been crucial for success at the Games. There are six players on court in a Volleyball team, who must each rotate position (clockwise) every time their team wins back service from the opposition. Only the three players at the net positions can jump and spike or block near the net. The backcourt players can only hit the ball over the net if they jump from behind the attack line, also known as the three-metre line, which separates the front and back part of the court. Volleyball has developed into a much specialised sport. Most teams will include in their starting line-up a setter, two centre blockers, two receiver-hitters and a universal spiker. Only certain players will be involved with service reception. Players will also have specialist positions for attack and defence. Substitutions are allowed during the game. In 2000, Volleyball used a new scoring system. Teams scored a point on every rally, regardless of which team served. Formerly, a team could only win a point if it served the ball. Winning the serve back from the opposition was known as a side-out. Famous and acrobatic libero: Paula Cardullo from Italia Matches are played best of five sets. The first four sets are played to 25 points, with the final set being played to 15 points. A team must win a set by two points. There is no ceiling, so a set continues until one of the teams gains a two-point advantage. Previously, all sets were to 15 points, with the first four sets having a ceiling of 17 and the final set requiring at least a two-point winning advantage. Prior to Sydney 2000, the FIVB introduced a new specialist role: the libero. This player wears a different coloured uniform from the rest of the team and can be substituted in backcourt for any player on the team. The libero cannot serve, spike the ball over the net or rotate into the front-line positions, but plays a vital role for the team in serve reception and backcourt defence. There must be at least one point played between a libero substituting off for a player and going back on the court for another player - hence he/she cannot be on the court for the whole game. The libero added an extra dimension to backcourt defence in 2000, improving the reception of teams, lengthening the rallies and giving a vital role to shorter players. More on technical terminology next month... FIVB X-Press N o 133 March

8 Exclusive material & equipments for FIVB APPROVED VOLLEYBALL BALLS SHOES AND UNIFORMS MIKASA MVP 200 color Exclusive Game Ball for all FIVB Competitions incl. OG 2008 ADIDAS ASICS CHAMPION MOLTEN IV5XC (MTV5SLIT) GALA BV 5091S DACAPO DESCENTE HEAD CAMBUCI Penalty Volley Pro 6.0 QUINGDAO-SYNSHEEN Star VB MIKASA (International Referees exclusive supplier for Volleyball) MIZUNO NATIONMAN 9900 PROFIT MONDO MONDO 5MF-Pro NIKE OLYMPIKUS TOPPER FIVB OFFICIAL INSPECTED VOLLEYBALL BALLS MIKASA SV-2 School MIKASA VP-500 Park Volley BEACH VOLLEYBALL BALLS SYNTHETIC FLOORS FIVB APPROVED TARAFLEX Exclusive for all FIVB Competitions incl. OG 2008 MIKASA VLS 200 (color) Beach Exclusive Game Ball for all FIVB Competitions incl. OG 2008 MOLTEN VBOS (HSBV5) (color) Beach HOMOLOGATED POSTS, PADS, ANTENNAE, NETS, REFEREE CHAIRS SENOH Post, pads, nets with antennae & referees chairs are exclusive for all FIVB Competitions, incl. OG 2008 TARAFLEX Taraflex Sport M (color Teal Coral 6146) over wood sub floors or synthetic sub floors Taraflex Sport 3D (colors Teal Coral 6146) over concrete sub floors MONDO MONDOFLEX Blue Laguna H23 + Rose Flamingo H41 FIVB RECOMMENDED MONDO MONDOSPORT HP-E PVC indoor floor Blue Laguna H23 + Rose Flamingo H41 FIVB X-Press Monthly information of the FIVB Av. de la Gare 12 CH-1001 Lausanne Printed in Switzerland FIVB founded in 1947 President Dr. Rubén Acosta H. Tel Fax WebSite: info@fivb.org Editor: Communication Dpt. N o 133 March FIVB X-Press No 133 March 2005