FIVB SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN JAPAN IN 2010

FIVB World Championships 2010

Lausanne, Switzerland, November 23, 2005. The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, the world’s governing body for the sport, is pleased to announce the signing of an eight-figure US dollar partnership deal to hold the 2010 Women’s Volleyball World Championship for a second consecutive time in Japan with Japan Volleyball Association and Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS).

After intense negotiations the agreement was signed today in Tokyo (Japan) jointly by the FIVB President Ruben Acosta, the JVA President Mr. Masao Tachiki and the President of TBS Mr. Hiroshi Inoue.

Commenting on the importance of the agreement with TBS, FIVB President Acosta said “Japan is a stronghold for volleyball and the enthusiasm of the many volleyball fans in this country needs to be rewarded by witnessing a successful performance at world level, which is now possible considering the steady recovery of a reinvigorated Japanese national team. This agreement is good news for volleyball in Japan and for our sport worldwide, maintaining its spectacular progress.”

The significance of the deal was underscored by the fact that Dr. Acosta himself led the negotiations, as he has also been doing for the past two years in an effort to organise in Europe the 2010 Men’s Volleyball World Championship, discussing, among many others, with the President of the Italian Federation Mr. Carlo Magri, as well as with the President of the Polish Volleyball Federation, who also wish to bring the sport a major step forward on the continent. A successful agreement is expected in the next few weeks - with the Italian bid currently the favourite - for the event to return to Europe 16 years after the Men’s World Championship organised in Athens in 1994.