Tokyo,September 27, 2006: With 218 national associations affiliated to the FIVB, which sport is in a better position to promote worldwide peace?
And that’s exactly what volleyball is going to do during the 2006 FIVB World Championships in Japan.
Thanks to an initiative from FIVB President Dr. Ruben Acosta, a peace ceremony is being planned to take place in Hiroshima during the men’s event in late November.
Hiroshima was the victim of the first atomic bombing by the United States on August 6, 1945, and has since become a symbol of peace. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park attracts tourists from around Japan and the world.
Hiroshima also has a strong history of volleyball in Japan, so the FIVB and World Championships organizers will use the occasion to make their own contribution to global peace.
The second round of the men’s world championship will run from November 25-29 in Sendai and Hiroshima, and organizers are hoping that all officials and players from the eight teams in Hiroshima will attend the service.
The Mayor of Hiroshima has also given his full support to the event, and now all that remains is selecting a suitable date. The two options are before the first second-round matches are played, or on the rest day, November 27.
