Saint-Dié, France, April 26, 2005 – The 2006 World Championships returns to Europe on Wednesday when France hosts a Women’s World Championship first round tournament (Europe Pool C) where the hosts, Finland, Norway, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Belgium will play off against each other with only the top two teams advancing to the second round.

England hosted the first 2006 World Championship events – men’s and women’s first round tournaments in Sheffield in January - which saw the Spanish and Serbian and Montenegro women’s teams and English men’s team advance to the second round.

Now in France, the next tournament on the 2006 World Championship calendar marks a number of significant firsts for Volleyball and none more so for Bosnia & Herzegovina. It is less than three weeks since a page in the history of Balkan Volleyball was turned when the Volleyball clubs of Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Republic of Srpska and the District of Brcko unanimously approved the new Constitution reviving the new Volleyball Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina. The FIVB's tireless efforts bore fruit in spectacular fashion since 81 clubs took part in the Federation's Constituent General Assembly, out of the 85 clubs active in Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Republic of Srpska and the District of Brcko - and all voted in favour of the new Constitution.

Now the Bosnia & Herzegovina women’s and men’s teams have the honour of participating in the 2006 World Championships with the women’s team aiming to finish amongst the top two teams in France starting on Wednesday.

They will have the privilage of playing in the opening match of the five-day tournament against Norway at 18.30 (CET) which will be followed by Finland taking on Belgium at 21.00 (CET) with the hosts having the rest day.

The winner of the tournament will join Greece, Ukraine and another first round team in the second round, while the second placed side will head to Azerbaijan to play the hosts, Romania and Spain.

This week also sees the Bosnia & Herzegovina men’s team in action with Estonia hosting a 2006 Men’s World Championship first round tournament (Europe Pool D) with the hosts, Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Albania playing against each other starting on Friday from which only the winner will advance to the second round.