New Athletes' Commission presented at FIVB World Congress

Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 5, 2016 - The new Athletes' Commission was presented at the 35th FIVB World Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina today, following its formal launch at the Volleyball House at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 15.

"The creation of the FIVB Athletes' Commission formalises long-term and loyal relations with our global network of athletes and re-affirms the FIVB's commitment to ensuring athletes are the focus of its administration," said FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F°.

The Athletes' Commision is composed as follows:

·         Gilberto 'Giba' Amauri de Godoy Filho (Giba) - President

·         Vladimir Grbic - Secretary

·         Ekaterina Gamova - Member

·         Julius Brink - Member

·         Eleonora Lo Bianco - Member

·         Bartosz Kurek - Member

·         Kerri Walsh Jennings - Member

·         Kim Yeon-Kyung - Member

·         Emanuel Rego – Expert

Former Olympic volleyball champion and three-time World Championship winner Giba from Brazil will lead the Commission as its President and former Serbian Olympic volleyball champion Vladimir Grbić will be the Commission’s Secretary.  They will be joined by a host of other former champions, including London 2012 beach volleyball gold medallist Julius Brink from Germany,  three-time Olympic beach volleyball champion Kerri Walsh Jennings from the United States and 2013 beach volleyball World Champion Xue Chen from China. 

"We are here to work together and this Commission will be working so hard for volleyball," Giba told the delegates. "Like I said yesterday, we should never give up.

"We have lived volleyball all our lives as players and we know how volleyball is good for the life as w hole, not just as a player. Now we are working for the benefit of volleyball worldwide."

The FIVB is already 100 per cent committed to the IOC Athletes’ Career Programme and the creation of the Athletes’ Commission is seen as an important step in its ongoing support to athletes in line with Recommendation 18 of Olympic Agenda 2020.