They need that men’s trophy NEXT WEEK!
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) is working with Brazilian authorities to recover the trophies of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s and Women’s World Championships after they were stolen in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
The unique trophies – with a contemporary, inspirational artistic design took months to design earlier this year – were in Brazil as part of the FIVB Trophy Tour for the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, which will be held in Poland from August 30 to September 21, and the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship due to take place in Italy from September 23 to October 12. The trophies were stolen at a mall parking lot near the Confederação Brasileira de Voleibol, while in transit back to Europe.
With the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 beginning next week and the women’s event beginning in one month, the FIVB will start work immediately with the Swiss company that created the trophies for the replacement of both, which were originally planned to be present at next Saturday’s Men’s World Championship opening ceremony and match in Warsaw.
“This situation is lamentable as the FIVB worked very hard to create a unique trophy for both World Championships,” FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° said. “The FIVB will work with the local authorities to attempt to recover these iconic pieces of silverware but in the meantime will act quickly to create new ones so that a trophy will be guaranteed to be present at both finals of the World Champs in Katowice and Milan so the players will have the necessary reward in recognition of their tremendous effort and dedication that goes into winning the most important international volleyball event, which takes place every four years.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the trophy can email the FIVB at info@fivb.org.
Watch: The FIVB Men’s World Championship Trophy
