The new CEO of Volleyball World has vowed to continue growing the sport in Asia by bringing more tournaments to the continent, with events in mainland China and Hong Kong potentially on the cards.
Ugo Valensi took over as the head of Volleyball World last month, after spearheading Grand Slam Tennis, the body running the sport’s four major tournaments.
In August and September, the FIVB men’s and women’s Volleyball World Championships got under way in the Philippines and Thailand, respectively, marking the first time both indoor events have taken place in Asia in the same year.
Valensi said the revamped world championships, which now take place every two years instead of four, could in the future stop in China, with multiple cities hosting the events.
“Volleyball is the second most-watched sport in the country, so it is clearly a key market for us,” Valensi said. “There will definitely be more events and a stable presence throughout the country. It’s a country that we will continue to invest heavily in.
“At some stage, we’d like to have China possibly being a host for the world championships, that would be incredible.”
