Cristobal Marte elected as Pan American Union Volleyball President

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 8, 2011 – NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz of Dominican Republic was elected on Saturday as new president of the Pan American Volleyball Union by the unanimous vote of the delegates from 51 countries from North, Central American, Caribbean and South America.

The meeting was chaired by FIVB President Jizhong Wei together with outgoing UPV president Dr. Ary Graça.

“Our next president, my friend and brother Cristobal Marte believes in hard work and also in democracy,” Graça said in his welcoming speech. “Many people thinking expressing their ideas is better than only one.”

“That is a legacy from FIVB President, Jizhong Wei, who brought democracy and freedom of expression to volleyball,” he added.

Together with Marte Hoffiz also were elected to the UPV executive committee the following:

Ary Graça of Brazil, 1^st Executive Vice President, Ismael Acosta of Mexico, 2^nd Vice President, Rafael Lloreda Currea of Colombia, General Secretary, Marta Centeno de Sajche of Guatemala, Co-Secretary, Juan Castro of Peru, Treasurer and the members Mushtaque Mohammed of Trinidad and Tobago, Alejandro Bolgieri of Argentina, Hugh Wong of Canada, Judith Rodriguez of Venezuela, Glenn Quinlan of St. Kitts and Nevis, Douglas Beal of United States and Nelson Perez of Puerto Rico.

In his first speech as President of the UPV Marte Hoffiz announced as his first objective the creation of the Pan American Beach Volleyball Tour.

“I think that this will be a big starting point for the Pan American Union and will generate the necessary funds for the organization,” Marte Hoffiz said. “The tour will be a revolution and will help the development of beach volleyball in North and South America.”