Did you know…

London can host the 2012 Olympic Volleyball Tournament. A most of 12 groups will participate in the event. The united kingdom and Brazil -2008 Olympic gold medal- have qualified for the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Curiously, great Britain has never competed in the Pre-Olympics, World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Games. great Britain did not qualify for the ecu Championships in 2007.

The People’s Republic of China, Brazil and Russia are the favorites for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. China won the gold medal at the Girls’ Under- 18 World Volleyball London Championships in Mexico in 2007.

The us hopes to win its initial world title in 2009. With Lang Ping as coach -a former Chinese volleyball player who had taken part within the 1982 World Cup and 1984 Olympics- the U.S. women’s volleyball team trains terribly laborious for the 2009 World Cup in Tokyo (Japan).

From 1962 to 1967, Japan dominated the international tournaments and players from that Asian country won two World Championships.

Venezuela qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics through the South yankee Pre-Olympic in Lima, Peru. For the primary time, Venezuela defeated Peru 3-2 ( 22-25, 27-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12). Curiously, Venezuela has never participated within the World Championships or Olympic Games. In 1982, Venezuela finished fifth place at the Central yank & Caribbean Games…

Russia has seven world championships ( USSR ‘ 52, France ‘ fifty six, Brazil ‘ sixty, Bulgaria ‘ 70, Uruguay ‘ 73, China ‘ 90, Japan ‘ 06 ) and 4 Olympic titles (Mexico ‘ 68, West Germany ‘ seventy two, USSR ‘ 80, South Korea ‘ 88).

In 1980, South Korea -one of the world’s best volleyball teams- didn’t send a team to the Pre-Olympics in Bulgaria. Why ? Between 1948 and 1987, South Korea -an anti-Communist state within the twentieth century- didn’t establish formal diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. The tournament was part of the Olympic qualification system for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

Algeria -which won the gold medal at the 2007 Pan African Games- is the initial Arab team to participate within the Olympic Games (Beijing 2008).

From 1952 to 1973, China did not compete in the World Championships ( Moscow ‘ 52, Paris ‘ 56, Rio ‘ 60, Moscow ‘ 62, Tokyo ‘ 67, Sofia ‘ seventy ) and Asian Games ( Jakarta ‘ 62, Bangkok ‘ sixty six, Bangkok ‘ 70 ). Why ? as a result of the People’s Republic of China was not member of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball ( FIVB ). In 1974, China became an officer member of the FIVB. This nation made its international debut at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran (Iran). 3 weeeks later, China competed within the World Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico. in the preliminary round, China lost 2 matches: Poland (3-1) and Japan (3-0/ 1972 Olympic champion).The People’s Republic of China finished in 14th place -among 24 nations- at the 1974 FIVB World Championships. within the 1980s, China became the primary country to win 5 of eight major volleyball tournaments:

1980: China boycotted the Moscow Olympics

1981: Japan World Cup-1st place

1982: Peru World Championships-1st place

1984: la Summer Olympic Games-1st place

1985: Japan World Cup-1st place

1986: Czechoslovakia World Championships-1st place

1988: South Korea Olympic Games-3rd place

1989: Japan World Cup- third place

South Korea won the FIVB U-20 World Championship in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1977. Korea beat China for the gold medal. For the first time, three volleyball groups from Asia competed within the finals (Korea, China and Japan).

Massachusetts (United States) is the birthplace of volleyball…

The Romanian women’s volleyball squad won the gold medal at the 1980 World Olympic Qualification in Varna (Bulgaria). Final standings:

1.Romania

2.Bulgaria

3.Brazil

4.North Korea

5.Hungary

6.Mexico

Like several former Soviet-bloc nations, Ukraine was one in all the last members of the FIVB. Surprisingly, Ukraine won the silver medal at the 1993 World Youth Championships in South America.