January 26, 2026.- The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Commission met for the first time in 2026, bringing together members from across the Global Volleyball Movement to review progress, share updates and look ahead to the next phase of empowerment initiatives worldwide. The meeting opened with a welcome from FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, followed by remarks from Volleyball Empowerment Commission President Glenn Quinlan, who underlined the Commission’s important role in shaping the future of the sport.
A central focus of the meeting was an update on Volleyball Empowerment activities in 2025 and the continued evolution of the Volleyball Empowerment platform. To date, the program has invested USD 53 million into 1,658 projects across 206 nations, reinforcing its impact at every level of the sport.
From April 2025 to January 2026, National Federations supported through Volleyball Empowerment continued to achieve strong competitive results. In beach volleyball, 59 NFs were awarded medals across FIVB, Continental, Zonal and multisport events, with women’s competitions accounting for 188 medals (52%) and men’s competitions 175 medals (48%). In volleyball, 52 NFs reached the podium, with women’s competitions earning 54 medals (52%) and men’s competitions 49 medals (48%).
Members also received updates on the FIVB International Centres of Excellence – pillar 10 of the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032. In 2025 alone, 14 Memorandums of Understanding were established to create new Centres of Excellence. The Centres of Excellence will establish a global, performance-driven network supporting national teams through a two-tier model comprising High-Performance International Training Centres and International Training Centres. From April 2026, National Federations will be able to access training camps at Centres of Excellence, while existing Development Centres will transition into the new system following their final allocation under the current cycle.
Strong collaboration with the IOC through Olympic Solidarity was highlighted as a key success, with team support grant applications for volleyball and beach volleyball representing 30% of all approved applications across all summer Olympic sports. Among the new initiatives discussed was the Youth Athlete Development Program, delivered in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity, which will strengthen volleyball talent in emerging regions. The program aligns closely with the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032, supporting global growth of the sport and providing development pathways for young athletes.
Updates were also shared on Zonal Association activities. In 2025, 17 Zonal Association events were registered under the World Ranking system, showing balanced participation across men’s and women’s competitions. Participation continued to grow significantly, with a 49% increase in men’s teams in the World Ranking and a 32% increase in women’s teams, strengthening zonal competitions and increasing match opportunities for National Federations. The Commission also reflected on their formal recognition of the new Zonal Association – the North Central Zonal Volleyball Association – which represents a new zonal structure highlighting the sport’s growing regional collaboration and strength.
The meeting concluded with an address from FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, who thanked members for their engagement, ideas and ongoing commitment to empowering National Federations and advancing volleyball worldwide.
Following the Commission meeting President Quinlan stated:
“The Volleyball Empowerment program continues to prove that targeted investment, strong partnerships and a shared vision can deliver real, measurable change. The progress we are seeing across all regions is a testament to the dedication of our National Federations and the strength of collaboration across the Global Volleyball Movement.”
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