OFFICIAL BULLETIN No. 14 April 2007 Edition in English FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL New teams from three continents for the 2007 World Grand Prix In 2007, one of the surprise packages from the last World Championships in Japan will get a chance at World Grand Prix action as Chinese Taipei becomes one of the 12 teams gunning for the title at the FIVB’s annual international women’s competition. Chinese Taipei made it through to the final round of the World Championships against the odds, finishing better than 2007 Grand Prix rivals Poland and Domin- ican Republic in the process. The European contingent in 2007 will be joined by the Netherlands, who also put in a respectable performance at the World Championships, finishing one place ahead of the mighty USA. Avital Selinger’s girls complete the quartet of European teams The Netherlands that includes World Champions Russia, against Japan at the 2006 World Championships 2006 Grand Prix bronze medalists Italy and Poland. Brazil on course for a fourth consecutive Thailand forfeited their place in the com- The NORCECA delegation remains title and Cuba, Dominican Republic and petition after the government’s decision unchanged with defending champions U.S.A. looking to make their mark. to field their best Volleyball team at this year’s Universiade, which will be held Pools Composition & Calendar on home turf in Bangkok. Debutantes Kazakhstan, who finished level with the DATE CITY/TEAMS CITY/TEAMS CITY/TEAMS Dominican Republic in the Worlds, will Week 1: POOL A: POOL B: POOL C: replace them and join Chinese Taipei and August 3-5 Tokyo Verona Rzeszow Japan in the battle to join hosts China in 2007 JAPAN ITALY POLAND the final round in Ningbo. JAPAN ITALY POLAND CUBA BRAZIL RUSSIA DOMINICAN REPUB. NETHERLANDS U.S.A. In this Issue KAZAKHSTAN CHINESE TAIPEI CHINA Volleyball Week 2: POOL D: POOL E: POOL F: August 10-12 Tokyo Khabarovsk Hong Kong • World Grand Prix 2007 2007 JAPAN RUSSIA CHINA • World League 2007 Beach Volleyball JAPAN RUSSIA ITALY BRAZIL CUBA CHINA • World Tour 2007 Preview NETHERLANDS U.S.A. DOMINICAN REPUB. • New Beach head coach for CHINESE TAIPEI KAZAKHSTAN POLAND British Volleyball Week 3: POOL G: POOL H: POOL I: Confederations August 17-19 Osaka Taipei Macau 2007 JAPAN CHINESE TAIPEI CHINA • CEV Indesit Finals Technical & Development JAPAN CHINESE TAIPEI CUBA RUSSIA BRAZIL CHINA • VCP 2007 POLAND DOMINICAN REPUB. NETHERLANDS Calendars KAZAKHSTAN ITALY U.S.A. • Courses and Seminars Week 4: April-May FINALS Ningbo, CHINA August 22-26 China and the top five ranked teams after the Preliminary Rounds • FIVB Global Calendar 2007 will qualify for the Final Round April-May www.fivb.org Volleyball VOLLEYBALL MEN & WOMEN the world class Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, will be the venue tournament. for the World Women’s Junior Volleyball Championship “The FIVB has al- ready approved After the recent inspection Grand Prix and the Princess Cup. The in- the condition by FIVB officials to the ven- spection trip to the optional arena was and standards of ue for the World Women’s very satisfactory, with the venue meeting the competition Junior Volleyball Champion- all necessarily required standards. venue in Nakhon ship, it is decided that the competition Ratchasima af- site now shifts from Suphan. Buri to The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima used to ter we informed them in detail why the Nakhon Ratchasima, also in Thailand. serve as the main spot for hosting sev- venue had to shift from Suphan Buri to eral activities including live concerts, ex- Nakhon Ratchasima”, Shanrit said. Since the Silaparcha Gymnasium in Su- hibitions and sports competitions which phan Buri, which already served as the included the afore-mentioned Volleyball He added that the 2,000-seater gymna- main competition venue for this champi- tournaments. sium within the 300th Anniversary Sports onship in 2003, is not ready for the pres- Complex in Nakhon Ratchasima, which tigious tournament, the Volleyball Associ- Nakhon Ratchasima’s residents also have will serve as the battleground for the SEA ation of Thailand and the host nation alike a real passion for sports. Games competition in December, will be recently announced that the venue will used as the optional arena, while four shift from Suphan Buri to Nakhon Ratch- Whenever a big sporting tournament is training venues consist of the Municipal asima, a distance of some 250 kilometres held in the province, a large number of Gymnasium, Ratchasima Vittaya Gymna- from Bangkok, the capital city. home crowds will throng into the com- sium and two more at Assumption School petition venue to cheer on their favourite and Maree Vittaya School. The FIVB officials and the Volleyball As- players. sociation of Thailand representatives in- “We are very fortunate that the FIVB of- spected The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima’s According to VAT’s secretary-general ficials expressed satisfaction over their MCC Hall, a mega shopping centre in the Shanrit Wongprasert, aside from the 4,000- inspection to the competition sites. The Northeastern province, which already seater MCC Hall within The Mall Nakhon World Women’s Junior Volleyball Cham- served as the competition arena for sever- Ratchasima, a newly constructed gym- pionship will now take place in Nakhon al major tournaments including the Asian nasium with a seating capacity of 2,000 Ratchasima and not Suphan Buri,” he Senior Women’s Championship, the World will also be used as another venue for concluded. VOLLEYBALL MEN Héctor Soto and Carlos Beltrán new member of the FIVB Board of Admin- istration, was the recipient for the second recipients of ASES Awards consecutive year of the Executive of the Year plaque. Héctor ‘Picky’ Soto, the stel- ASES Awards of the Puerto Rico Sport lar attacker of the Puerto Museum. After excellent seasons last year with the Rican Men’s Volleyball Na- Tiscali Cagliari club of the Italian League tional Team, was honoured Also Mr. Carlos Beltrán, President of the and the San Juan Beach Boys of the Puer- as the 2006 Men Athlete of the Year, by Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation and to Rican Superior League, Soto joined the National Team to comply with the Soto, who was elected best international commitments. scorer, and Beltrán posing with the 2006 World He played a key role for Puerto Championships mascots Rico in winning the gold medal with a historic victory in straight sets over Cuba in the final of the Men’s Volleyball at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Soto was elected as the Most Valu- able Player of the regional event. He was also elected best scorer of the Men’s World Championship and helped to qualify Puerto Rico at the twelfth position of the 24- team event. Mr. Beltrán has been a dedicated director in maintaining alive the development of Volleyball both locally and internationally. The organization of Beltrán and his vision for reaching big achieve- ments for Puerto Rico, has made of him an example of leadership in the sport of the island. 2 FIVB World Volley News No.14 April 2007 News VOLLEYBALL MEN & WOMEN Individual Awards Women Italy and Germany dominate MVP: Angelina Grün (Foppapedretti Bergamo) the 2006-20007 Indesit European Champions’ League Best Scorer: Virginie De Carne (Voléro Zurich) Best Server: Ekaterina Gamova (Dinamo Moscow) Foppapedretti Bergamo But the highlight of the season was defi- Best Spiker: Francesca Piccinini claimed their fifth title in nitely the Men’s League Final Four in (Foppapedretti Bergamo) the Women’s Indesit Euro- Moscow, Russia, from 31 March to 1 April. Best Blocker: Anastasia Belikova pean Champions’ League, VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) beat 2005 ti- (Dinamo Moscow) beating Dinamo Moscow from Russia tleholder Tours VB (FRA) 3:1 in the final. Best Libero: Esther Lopez in a rollercoaster final which was de- Stelian Moculescu’s team have finally (Spar Tenerife Marichal) cided in the tiebreak set and attend- reached their long awaited goal, beating Best Setter: Eleonora Lo Bianco ed by over 6000 spectators in Zurich, some of Europe’s strongest teams along (Foppapedretti Bergamo) Switzerland on March 25. the way like defending champion Sisley Best Receiver: Milena Rosner (Spar Tenerife Marichal) Treviso (ITA). Men The determination of both teams forced a The Germans took the lead right away, at- MVP: Jochen Schöps (VfB Friedrichshafen) tiebreak and the fifth and deciding set was tacking more efficiently than their French Best Scorer: Hichem Guemmadi (Tours VB) nothing for weak nerves. They swapped opponents and proved unstoppable, win- Best Server: Matey Kaziyski (Dinamo Moscow) the lead until at 10-10 Bergamo strove ning in four sets. The bronze medal was Best Spiker: Alessandro Paparoni ahead, securing their second Champions’ won by Final Four host Dinamo Moscow (Lube Banca Marche Macerata) League ball (15-11). The bronze medal who beat Italian Lube Banca Marche Mac- Best Blocker: Alexander Volkov was won by Spar Tenefife Marichal (ESP) erata in straight sets. (Dinamo Moscow) who beat Final Four host Voléro Zurich On this occasion, the CEV also crowned Best Libero: Markus Steuerwald (VfB Friedrichshafen) (SUI) in straight sets after just over an Europe’s 2006 Best Volleyball and Beach Best Setter: Loïc De Kergret (Tours VB) hour of play. Volleyball players. The trophies were Best Receiver: handed over by CEV Pres- Lukas Divis (VfB Friedrichshafen) ident Mr. André Meyer, Senior Vice President Mr. Final round Women Philip Berben, as well as Foppapedretti Bergamo (ITA) - Dinamo Vice Presidents Mrs. Riet Moscow (RUS) 3:2 Ooms and Ms. Banu Can. (25-18, 19-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-11) Matey Kaziyski (Bulgaria) Bronze medal match and Lioubov Sokolova Spar Tenerife Marichal (ESP) - Voléro Zurich (SUI) 3:0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-23) (Russia) were crowned Best Volleyball Players Final round Men and Christoph Dieck- Tours VB (FRA) - VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) mann (Germany) and 1:3 (20-25, 24-26, 25-23, 19-25) Natalia Uryadova (Rus- Bronze medal match The 2006-07 Indesit champions Bergamo sia) Best Beach Volleyball Dinamo Moscow (RUS) - Lube Banca Marche with CEV President Mr.