Volleyball strengthens its place among the world’s leading

sports as FIVB Board advances Strategic Vision 2032

Lausanne, Switzerland, May 12, 2026.- The FIVB Executive Committee and Board of Administration meetings took place at Volleyball House in Lausanne at the end of last week, bringing together leaders from across the Global Volleyball Movement to shape the next phase of the sport’s growth around the world.

Guided by the ambitions of the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032, discussions throughout the meetings focused on one clear objective: making volleyball more accessible, understandable and affordable for people everywhere.

That vision was clear even before the meetings began.

Ahead of the opening session, members of the Board were able to observe an air volleyball demonstration at Volleyball House led by FIVB and Volleyball World staff. Having first originated in China, where it continues to be hugely popular, air volleyball is rapidly emerging as an exciting and accessible way for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the sport. Played with a lighter, softer and slightly larger ball, the format encourages longer rallies, more touches and more fun. Its simplicity and flexibility mean it can be played almost anywhere – from schools and community centres to public spaces and shopping malls – making it a powerful driver of mass participation and a key tool in bringing volleyball to entirely new audiences.

Opening the Board of Administration meeting, FIVB President Fabio Azevedo highlighted the strong momentum currently being generated across the sport worldwide and underlined the importance of continuing to unite and empower the Global Volleyball Movement. He also touched on some of the recent successes from across the Movement. These included founder of the Brahmaputra Volleyball League, Abhijit Bhattacharya, being recognised as the Global Winner of the 2025 IOC Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions Award, Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon Koung receiving the award as Asia’s recipient, and beach volleyball Olympian Doaa Elghobashy being recognised as an athlete role model for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Board members reviewed a wide range of developments across international volleyball and beach volleyball, from governance and sustainability to events, innovation and athlete support. Members also acknowledged the passing of former CEV President and FIVB Executive Vice-President Aleksandar Boričić, recognising his longstanding contribution to the development of volleyball in Europe and globally.

Key governance discussions included updates on the FIVB Constitution, Zonal Association restructuring, finance and audit matters, Volleyball Empowerment initiatives, sustainability programmes and National Federation categorisation.

In addition, in line with the FIVB Board of Administration’s previous decision to follow IOC Executive Board recommendations, and further to the IOC Executive Board’s recent decision to no longer recommend any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by International Federations, Belarusian athletes and teams are therefore allowed to return to participation in international volleyball competitions with immediate effect.

The meetings also included updates on the continued commercial growth of volleyball through Volleyball World, alongside major international events including Volleyball Nations League 2026, the FIVB U17 World Championships in Chile and Qatar, the Beach Volleyball U18 Championships in the Netherlands, the Beach Pro Tour and preparations for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

Board members discussed exciting progress towards the launch of the Beach World Series, preparations for the FIVB World Congress in Punta Cana later this year, and plans for an even bigger edition of World Volleyball Day 2026 following the success of its inaugural celebration last year, which reached more than 280 million people across social media platforms worldwide.

Innovation and technology also featured prominently on the agenda, including discussions surrounding AI initiatives and remote officiating solutions designed to enhance the volleyball experience for athletes, officials and fans.

The Board additionally received an update from the FIVB Volleyball Foundation, which recently approved five new projects across four continents during its first Board meeting under President HRH Princess Ayah bint Faisal – another important step in expanding volleyball’s social impact worldwide.

Further strengthening collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the sport, the FIVB Board approved that chairs of Continental Confederation Referee Commissions will be invited to observe future FIVB Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission meetings as part of ongoing efforts to enhance transparency, education and global standards in officiating.

Board members also approved the creation of “The Volleyball Order”, a new distinction set to replace the FIVB Grand Cross, recognising outstanding contributions to the global development of volleyball.

Throughout the meetings, one message remained clear: volleyball’s future growth will come from making the sport easier to understand, easier to access and easier to play for communities across the world.

As the FIVB continues to deliver its Strategic Vision 2032, the Global Volleyball Movement is working together to ensure more people than ever before can experience the joy of volleyball.