The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) has revealed an increase in the number of participating teams in the FIVB Volleyball World Championships.
Following the approval of the FIVB Board of Administration, 32 teams per gender are now set to participate in the next editions of the tournament.
FIVB President, Dr Ary S. Graça F°, said: “FIVB is keen to provide more opportunities for national teams to participate in our main event, the World Championships while offering the great volleyball spectacles to fans from all over the world to follow.”
The sport’s governing body has outlined that an enhanced competition formula will be equal for both the men’s and women’s events and will see 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams for the round-robin phase.
The two best teams per group will be moving into the direct knockout phase: round of 16, quarterfinals, semi-finals and final.
“The increase in the number of teams participating in the tournament will also offer more opportunities for national teams that are part of the revolutionary programme of Volleyball Empowerment that aims to increase the level of national teams all over the world to participate in the major volleyball events and bring the teams to the podium,” Graça F° explained.
Additionally, FIVB and Volleyball World will also work together in a bid to uphold the same conditions and standard of competition for both the men’s and women’s teams at the next editions of the World Championships. This follows the evaluation of this year’s tournament.
