The Volleyball Your Way Festival in Rio was held in conjunction with the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation's VivaVolei programme
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 31, 2016 – The FIVB on Sunday showcased the Olympic spirit in Rio by welcoming fans of all ages to the Volleyball Your Way festival celebrating the universality and accessibility of volleyball.
The festival was staged in conjunction with Brazil’s VivaVolei programme and took place at Parque Madureira. It was the first of several development activities the FIVB has planned for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as it looks to leave a sustainable legacy in Brazil.
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The festival was organised by the FIVB in partnership with the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV) and is part of the VivaVolei initiative programme run by the national volleyball federation in Brazil with the aim of bringing together and educating boys and girls aged 7 to 17 through volleyball.
The festival included entertainment, VivaVolei clinics and a speech from FIVB Secretary General Fernando Lima, who encouraged the participating kids to “Volleyball Your Way!”
FIVB President Dr. Ary Graça said: “Volleyball is a truly universal sport that can be played by everyone at every time everywhere and the Volleyball Your Way Festival was a fantastic celebration of this. It was a wonderful way to usher in a very special few weeks for our sport and provided a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of volleyball players to take up the sport in Rio.
“Volleyball will be the number one family entertainment sport at the Games. We want to create a party atmosphere and it was a privilege to get this party started in Madureira, the birthplace of samba!”
The FIVB’s Volleyball Your Way campaign reinforces the inclusiveness of volleyball and its adaptability to environments, resources and cultures. The festival also included a guided tour of Parque Madureira, which is the third largest park in Rio and is one of three sites for the public to watch the Olympic Games for free on a big screen.