February 16, 2026.- FIVB and Volleyball World leadership recently met with the President of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) and Minister, General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) Gao Zhidan and COC Secretary General Jian Wu during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games to discuss the future of volleyball in Asia and across the globe. The high-level meeting focused on strategic priorities for the growth of volleyball and China’s continued influence on the global volleyball landscape.
China has long been an important hub for the Global Volleyball Movement, consistently delivering strong performances in both men’s and women’s competitions while frequently hosting major international events. The country’s engagement with the sport reached historic levels during the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship 2025, which drew unprecedented attention. The tournament captivated more than a billion viewers in China across broadcast and digital platforms, with over 500 million tuning in on CCTV5 during prime-time coverage, surpassing other major sporting events in the region.
In a first for the sport, Volleyball World partnered with popular Douyin streamers, including former Chinese internationals, to bring the tournament directly to fans. This initiative generated hundreds of millions of additional views and engaged tens of millions of unique viewers in meaningful online interactions, complementing the millions of fans attending volleyball events in China in recent years. China also recently hosted the FIVB U21 Volleyball World Championships in 2025, further cementing its reputation as a premier place for international volleyball.
Looking ahead, China will continue to play a central role in volleyball’s global growth. The country is set to host the 2026 VNL Men’s Finals in Ningbo, as well as two VNL pools in Nanjing (women’s competition) and Linyi (men’s competition). Further, Macau and Hong Kong are set to play host to the VNL too, with Macau home to the 2026 VNL Women’s Finals and Hong Kong welcoming the world in the women’s competition pool phase. Throughout 2026, an impressive ten FIVB events, including both beach volleyball and volleyball, will be in China.
Under the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032, the FIVB aims to double the number of people actively engaging with volleyball worldwide, increasing from 800 million to 1.6 billion. China’s passionate fan base and strong engagement make it a key partner in achieving this goal – a focus discussed during the meeting. The meeting with Minister Gao underline a shared commitment to expanding volleyball’s reach, engaging even more fans and strengthening the sport’s presence in Asia and beyond.
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