OFFICIAL BULLETIN No. 3 May 2006 Edition in English FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL The 2006 Beach Volleyball bonanza begins This month’s issue focuses on Beach May 31, the men’s SWATCH FIVB World Volleyball, with the first events on Tour will be back in Zagreb, Croatia the 2006 SWATCH FIVB World Tour and Nestea European Tour due to start the beach season this month. In addition to offering a preview of these events and the full calendar for the season, we also take a look at how some of the teams have been preparing for the season in Southern California – the spiritual home of Beach Volleyball. The 2006 SWATCH FIVB World Tour, the top international circuit for Beach Volley- ball, comprises 30 events with prize money of USD 6.7 million and will be played in the five Confederations over a six-month period starting with the women’s Open event in Modena, Italy on 10 May 2006. Two weeks later (23-28 May), the season’s first double-gender event will be held in Shanghai. This will be the second-straight season in which China’s 13 million-strong step forward for the FIVB in bringing to Beach Volleyball’s ever-increasing economic powerhouse welcomes the Beach Volleyball to the world’s tropical popularity, the FIVB hopes to bring the islands, which offer idyllic locations for SWATCH FIVB World Tour to new loca- tournaments and offer enormous – and as tions in North America, Australia, Spain “...will be played yet untapped – potential. and the United Arab Emirates for the 2007 in the five season. The Beach Volleyball season is completed Confederations...” by a further 16 FIVB-sanctioned Chal- lenger, Satellite and Exhibition events, In this Issue SWATCH FIVB World Tour. The following some taking place in regions where the Volleyball week, the teams will return to Europe with sport is already established, such as Swit- the women travelling to Athens, Greece, zerland, whilst others push the geographic • World Championship News and the men to Zagreb, Croatia. • European Champions League After the first month of action in 2005, the “...bringing Beach Volleyball only event that was not won by a Brazil- the sport to ian duo was the men’s Open in Shanghai, • SWATCH FIVB World Tour which was taken by the German part- new countries...” calendar nership of Christoph Dieckmann/Andreas • NESTEA CEV Masters Scheuerpflug. With Scheuerpflug now boundaries of Beach Volleyball even fur- European Tour calendar acting as manager to the newly-formed ther, bringing the sport to new countries National Federations partnership of Christoph Dieckmann and such as Cuba and the Czech Republic. Fur- Julius Brink (winner on the World Tour ther events are set to follow as agreements • Gift to Georgian Volleyball in Portugal in 2005 with Kjell Schneider), are reached in the course of the year. Federation this ambitious partnership will be one to watch. As the 2006 season gets underway, the • Sponsor renews with German FIVB is already working on the 2007 and Federation Later on this year we will also see the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calen- • NeVoBo appoints new SWATCH FIVB World Championships U21 dars, which, together with the 2007 World technical director in Myslowice, Poland and the SWATCH Championships in Gstaad, Switzerland, • New partner for Volleyball FIVB World Championships U19 in Ber- will constitute the qualification process for Australia muda. The latter event represents a major the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Thanks www.fivb.org Volleyball VOLLEYBALL meN China’s head coach announces his 18-player squad for the World Championship year Chinese men’s Volleyball team coach China had a disappointing one-win and Zhou Jian’an has announced his 18- five-loss result in the 2002 World Champi- player squad for the upcoming 2006 onship and didn’t qualify for the 2004 Ath- World Championship in Tokyo and the ens Olympics. China, coached by former 2006 Asian Games in Doha. head coach Di Anhe, was eliminated by Iran 2-3 in the semifinals in the 2002 Zhang Xiang, former captain of the Chi- Asian Games. nese national team, has been called back by Zhou to reinforce the attacking powers The Chinese team will participate in a four- of China. “It is an honour to be back in the nation international invitation tournament national team again,” said 35-year-old in May and then play World League Pool C Zhang. “I hope I can help the young play- games against Italy, Russia and France in ers with my experiences.” July and August. Head coach Zhou Jian’an said the Chinese team will try their utmost to enter the second round in the World Championship and clinch a berth in the finals at the Asian Games. The final team line-up will be decided after the World League. Chinese national men’s team for 2006 Wing Attacker: Hu Song, Guo Song, Sui Shengsheng, Shen Qiong, Zhang Xiang; Setter: Li Chun, Zhou Hong, Kang Kang, Jiang Fudong; Middle Blocker: Wang Hai- chuan, Yu Dawei, Wang Jin, Xie Wenhao, Guo Peng (5) and Li Chun (10) Guo Peng; Opposite: Tang Miao, Yuan Zhi, have been selected for the World China men’s head coach Zhou Jian’an Jiang Kun; Libero: Chu Hui. Championship squad VOLLEYBALL WomeN National Women Volleyball Kenya hires Japanese coach to prepare national Team Wins Top Sports Award in Kenya team for 2006 World Championship Kenya national women Volleyball team who are two times Olympians have been Kenya Volleyball Federation work together with the Japanese tactician voted as the Sports Team of the Year in (KVF) has hired a Japanese to mould a strong team which will repre- the country. The team, which has quali- coach to help prepare the sent the country well in Japan. As regards fied for this year’s World Women Volley- national women Volleyball team selection for the World Champion- ball Championships set for Japan in Octo- team for the 2006 World Champion- ships, the KVF Secretary General said ber and next year’s World Cup, emerged ships set for Japan in October. coach Lung’aho has been instructed to the winner of the prestigious award after come up with a provisional squad of 20 beating the athletics team which won last According to the newly elected KVF Sec- players as soon as possible so that logistics year’s Chiba Ekiden marathon. retary General Dan Wanyama, through for residential training camp and build up the assistance of Japanese International matches can be worked out by the federa- During the presentation ceremony at the Agency Corporation (JICA), the Japanese tion. Five Star Grand Regency hotel graced coach, whose name is yet to be released, is by Kenya’s Vice President Moody Awori, expected in the country two months before “The World Championships is a big tourna- Commissioner for Sports Gordon Oluoch the national women volleyball team leaves ment and we have instructed the coach and top sports journalists, sports officials for Japan. “We are taking our participa- to ensure that he only goes for the best and top company executives among oth- tion in the World Championships in Japan players while considering experience and ers, national team member Moim was very seriously and that is why we are youthfulness,” Wanyama said, adding voted the Most Promising Female Player bringing in a tactician from Japan to come that even foreign based players will be in the country. and team up with our local coaches in considered for selection into the World preparing the national women volleyball Championships squad. Among Kenya’s Representing the national team during the team,” said Wanyama. foreign based players who are playing as presentation were Moim, booster Janet professionals abroad are national team Wanja and libero player Mercy Wesu- He pointed out that local national women captain Violet Baraza and Dorcas Nda- tila both from Kenya Pipeline and Nancy volleyball team head coach David Lung’aho, saba, who represented the country at the Wanjala from Kenya Commercial Bank, who also handles African Women Vol- 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and 2004 who were accompanied by national team leyball Club champions Kenya Pipeline, Olympic Games in Athens. Other players coaches David Lung’aho and Paul Bitok and his assistant Paul Bitok, who coaches are studying in various colleges in the along with Team Manager Grace Wangu- Kenya Commercial Bank ladies’ team, will United States. ria. Also present was Kenya Volleyball 2 FIVB World Volley News No. 3 May 2006 2006 World Championships VOLLEYBALL WomeN qualify for the European Championships Giovanni Guidetti appointed Germany’s women’s coach with the team and play a good World after Hee Wan Lee unexpectedly resigns Championship.” DVV president Werner von Moltke added Hee Wan Lee Lee is replaced by Italian Giovanni “We are very happy to have found such a resigned as the Guidetti, who, although only 33 years old, renowned coach for our women’s team in coach of Germa- has already amassed considerable expe- such a short time. I am confident he will ny’s women’s rience as a coach. He has been a coach be able to continue the good work of Hee national team in Italy’s first league since 1997-98 (with Wan Lee.” as he no longer Spezzano, Vicenza, Modena and Chieri), felt he had the interrupted only by a one-year stint for trust of the league USPV/USA. From 1997-2000 Guidetti sides after was also co-trainer of the national wom- recent devel- en’s team of Italy and was responsible for opments and Bulgaria’s women’s team in the summer criticism of of 2003. his manner of communica- Guidetti will take up his post in time for tion.