Yay!
Despite all the drama, the FIVB announces that BRAZIL will STILL HOST the Final Round of the 2015 FIVB World League!
The International Volleyball Federation is pleased to announce that the FIVB Volleyball World League 2015 Group 1 Finals will be played at the Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tournament will serve as a test event for the volleyball competition at the Olympic Games in 2016, which will take place at the same venue.
The Group 1 Finals will be held from July 15-19 and will feature six teams (the host country, top two teams from Pool A and Pool B plus the winner of Group 2) playing off for the title of the 26th edition of the World League.
In the first time in the history of the competition, four countries – Australia, Brazil, Iran and Poland – were involved in the bidding process to host the Finals.
The confirmation of Rio de Janeiro as the 2015 World League Finals host city follows the news that volleyball attracted the most attention for 2016 Olympic Games tickets (27%) ahead of football (21.9%), swimming (21%) and athletics (20.6%) via the Rio Olympics ticketing registration process when it officially opened in January.
Olympic volleyball tickets score big hit.
The 2015 World League Intercontinental Round features eight countries competing in Group 1 (Pools A & B). In Pool A, Finals hosts Brazil, who are nine-time winners and 2014 silver medallists, will be joined by Australia, who have been promoted from Group 2, last edition’s bronze medallists Italy and three-times silver medallists Serbia. Iran, world champions Poland, Russia and reigning champions USA will compete in Pool B.
The World League Finals in Brazil will crown what is the biggest and best edition of the competition to date, featuring a record 32 teams. Eight teams participated in the World League’s inaugural year in 1990, 10 in 1991, 12 from 1992-2000 and 2004-5, 16 from 2001-2003 and 2006-2012 and then 19 in the 2013 edition. Last year’s World League saw 28 teams compete for honours and USA defeat Brazil in the Group 1 Finals in Florence, Italy.
The 2015 World League Group 2 (Pools C, D, E) Finals will take place in Bulgaria from July 10 to 11. Four teams will play the Group 3 (Pools F, G, H) Finals in Slovakia from July 3 to 5.
Click here for an overview of the 2015 World League schedule.
FIVB Volleyball World League Group 1 Finals page
In case you didn’t know, 2014 FIVB World League Champions USA, 2014 World Champions Poland, 2012 Olympic Champions Russia and Asian Champions Iran are in Pool B.
Very tough indeed.
(image: FIVB)