FIVB President Opens Board Of Administration Meeting

FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° today opened the FIVB Board of Administration meeting which was held via video conference to protect the health and wellbeing of all participants.

The FIVB President began his address by calling for a minute of silence in view of the sad passing of Dr Rafael Lloreda who served as the South American Volleyball Confederation President since 2012.

“This meeting comes at a very sad time for all of us following the loss of a highly-respected and trusted member of the Volleyball Family, our dear friend, Rafael Lloreda. Rafael served our beloved sport in various positions for almost 40 years and we will always be very grateful for his wisdom, knowledge, dedication and friendship,” said the FIVB President.

Following this, FIVB President, Dr Ary S. Graça F°, provided an update on the assistance provided to the global Volleyball Family despite the challenges of the past year.

“We were able to assist our athletes via the FIVB Athletes’ Relief Support fund last year. In total, 80 players from a wide range of countries in Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas received financial support for basic needs.

“And even during the pandemic we were able to open the FIVB Development Projects Platform to support our National Federations with coaches, equipment and knowledge transfer. In 2020, we received 142 applications, of which 132 were approved! And from 2017 to 2020, we approved 408 projects from 180 National Federations, with a total investment of almost 7 million USD.”

He also highlighted the FIVB’s cutting-edge partnership with CVC Capital Partners and the launch of Volleyball World which will drive innovation, growth and investment in volleyball around the globe. In particular, the FIVB President discussed how the significant financial investment received from the partnership will be used to help national teams and athletes across the globe reach their full potential through the Volleyball Empowerment project.

Today’s Board meeting is also being held with less than 70 days to go to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the FIVB President reiterated the FIVB’s commitment to ensuring that volleyball and beach volleyball showcase the best of the sport at the Games.

“But it is only together that we will ensure a safe and secure event, and celebrate one of the greatest sporting festivals in the world. Volleyball and beach volleyball will be right at the heart of these Games, both within Japan and for the hundreds of millions of fans watching from home.”

The Board is also set to address a number of key points on the agenda during today’s meeting such as the nomination of the FIVB Executive Committee, Commissions, Councils and Judicial Bodies. Members of the Board of Administration were also presented with reports from the Continental Confederation Presidents and updates from the Heads of the Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Departments on key volleyball and beach volleyball events.