The Huamark Indoor Stadium was the venue for a highly successful World Grand Prix Finals
Lausanne, Switzerland, July 12, 2016 - The success of the 2016 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix Finals comes in the wake of highly successful World Championships held in Poland, Italy and the Netherlands in the last two years pointing to a bright future for volleyball and beach volleyball.
The World Championships in Poland and Italy in 2014 marked the beginning of a golden period for volleyball with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games an important milestone in the ongoing growth of the sport. And successful events are key to the continued growth of the sport in the build-up to the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
Quick links:FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Poland 2014FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Italy 2014FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015Rio 2016 Olympic GamesPresident Graça said: “One of the FIVB’s key ambitions is to make volleyball the number one family sport entertainment in the world and it is events like the World Grand Prix Finals in Bangkok which will help us to achieve our goals.”
“The fans have responded to the great event here in Bangkok and it was a pleasure to watch the world’s best teams play for the World Grand Prix title in front of such a great audience. I would like to congratulate and thank the organisers of the event, which shows the way forward for the sport in years to come.”
Featuring five former winners and hosts Thailand, the World Grand Prix Finals from July 6 to 10 were a celebration of the best in women’s volleyball and were won by Brazil for a record 11th time. Ending under a month before the volleyball tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, they also provided an ideal stage for the world’s top teams as they prepare for the competition in Brazil. They have also demonstrated the success of the World Grand Prix in a country which had not previously staged the competition’s Finals.
Fans at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok“The FIVB has been delighted to bring an elite volleyball event to Thailand, where there is a true love for the sport. I expect the 2016 edition of the World Grand Prix Finals to be an important milestone for the competition as it goes from strength to strength in years to come. With 28 teams participating in the competition for the third successive year, it is a strong platform for countries at the top of international volleyball as well as for those wishing to improve their standing in the sport. We are not a sport concentrated in one part of the world and want to offer opportunities to countries around the world to join the best in volleyball,” said President Graça.
Brazil celebrate their victory against the United States on Sunday