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LAUSANNE, Switzerland, February 29, 2019 - FIVB President Dr.
Ary S. Graça F° met with IOC President Thomas Bach late last
week to discuss preparations for the volleyball and beach
volleyball competitions at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Rio is
set to stage iconic competitions with an unparalleled experience
for both players and fans.
Brazilians are passionate about, and highly successful in, both
volleyball disciplines and there is huge anticipation of home
success as Brazil hosts South America's first ever Olympic
Games.
Volleyball will be staged in the historic Maracanãzinho Stadium
and beach volleyball will be contested on Copacabana Beach. They
will be the signature events of this summer’s Games, bringing a
taste of the Brazilian carnival spirit to the 2016 Olympic
Games, and tickets for the sport have been among the most sought
after.
Commenting on the meeting with President Bach, FIVB President
Dr. Ary S. Graça F°, said: “I was proud to be able to discuss
ongoing preparations with President Bach. Both volleyball and
beach volleyball have experienced unprecedented worldwide growth
over the past few years and we look forward to showcasing the
sport’s innovative developments this summer, in what I am
confident will be the greatest celebration of our sport in
Olympic history."
The sport was one of the most popular events at the London 2012
Games; more than 10 per cent of all tickets sold were to
volleyball matches and the Rio Games will once again showcase
the sport’s global appeal and take the spectator and player
experience to another level. The FIVB prioritises technology and
is constantly looking for new innovative ways to modernise the
sport in its commitment to become the number one family sport
entertainment in the world.
Volleyball has been among the
most popular sports in terms of Rio 2016 ticket sales with
football and basketball. In a previous announcement, Rio 2016
Executive Director of Communications Mario Andrada said 27% of
the ticketing website’s users had registered an interest in
volleyball, putting the sport ahead of other popular events
including football, swimming and athletics.
President Graca continued: "The Olympic volleyball and beach
volleyball tournaments will be taking family sport entertainment
to a whole new level in Rio with technology and a variety of
engaging activities that will transform the spectator experience
for a generation of fans and set a precedent for all future
Olympic volleyball competitions.”
From March 8 to 13, Rio de Janeiro will also host the first of
five Grand Slam events on the 2015/2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball
World Tour. It will be the second of four World Tour events to
be held in Brazil in the build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. |
