The 2023 volleyball season described as turning point by the FIVB President
The Volleyball Council met Tuesday in a hybrid format to discuss a number of key topics, including the huge success of the 2023 season and the bright future ahead for the sport, with the Council President, Secretary and Continental Confederation Presidents joining from the FIVB Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
During its meeting, the Council had the opportunity to reflect on an incredible 2023 season, with all volleyball events witnessing an increase in spectator attendance, TV viewership and reach across social media channels.
The bright future of the sport was also explored, with the streamlined Volleyball Calendar 2025-2028 a key discussion point. The full calendar, which demonstrates a significant reduction in events, will be submitted for the approval of the FIVB Board of Administration and announced by the end of the year.
Volleyball Calendar 2025-2028 Approved By The FIVB Board Of Administration
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FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° also addressed the Council, noting its important role in ensuring constant innovation to improve the sport, and the need for continued collaboration to elevate volleyball to greater heights.
During the meeting, the FIVB President said:
“2023 has been a turning point season for volleyball, with our tournaments being a huge success all over the world. The VNL, age-group competitions and Road to Paris Olympic Qualifiers have featured great athletic performances and captivated millions of fans worldwide.
“All of the great results we are enjoying in 2023 are thanks to the strong decisions we have taken, such as streamlining the global calendar and creating a true show at our events. And our commitment to innovation continues.”
Great atmosphere at the VNL pool in the Philippines
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 was also a key agenda point. With the Games now less than eight months away, the advanced preparations and qualification for the volleyball competitions are in full swing. The competition format for Olympic volleyball tournament was affirmed with the Volleyball Council members.
This year’s Road to Paris Olympic Qualifiers proved a huge success, with events held in Brazil, China, Japan and Poland, and six women’s and six men’s teams booking a place at the Games. The remaining five qualification spots per gender will be decided via the FIVB World Rankings in June 2024, following the preliminary phase of next year’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
Six men’s and six women’s teams qualified to Paris 2024 via successful Road to Paris Olympic Qualifiers
Paris 2024 – Volleyball Qualification System
2024 will also feature the inaugural edition of the FIVB Volleyball U17 World Championships in August. The bidding process for the event is well underway, with a number of interested host cities having already submitted their Expression of Interest.
Bidding Process For Inaugural FIVB Volleyball Girls’ And Boys’ U17 World Championships 2024 Is Open!
The Volleyball Council also discussed the growing importance of the FIVB World Rankings, with qualification processes for key events ensuring that the best teams take part. The World Rankings are live on FIVB.com during the national team season and is the most visited page across the FIVB and Volleyball World websites.
In addition, the Council went through the qualification processes and formats of key events, already approved by the FIVB Board of Administration – including the World Championships 2025 and 2028 and the Olympic Games LA28 – with an aim to define clear pathways for national team activities and preparations.
The unified format for the Men’s and Women’s World Championships has also been shared as 32 teams per gender will be spread across eight pools of four teams in the pool phase, played in a round-robin system. The top two teams from each pool will then advance to the direct elimination phase.
In the direct elimination phase, the 16 teams will be matched-up in the knock-out stage with the winners advancing to the next stage, and the losers eliminated from the competition.
The FIVB Commissions and Councils meetings are set to continue over the next months, including the VNL Council which will explore the format for the VNL 2025 and beyond.
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