Chinese FIVB president is a fan of Iran’s volleyball team

TEHRAN,March 15(MNA)--Iran had an eye-catching performance in the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup 2011, where the Persians defeated giants such as Poland and Serbia. Iran achievement in Tokyo, Japan have been lauded by Fédération Internationale de Volleyball President Jizhong Wei Tehran Times brings you an exclusive interview with Chinese FIVB President Jizhong Wei, who applauded Iran volleyball. Tehran Times: Iran exhibited a remarkable performance in the Men's Volleyball Championship in Japan. The Middle Eastern team defeated great teams such as Serbia, Argentina and Poland. As the FIVB President, what do you make of Iran’s performance? Jizhong Wei: Iran’s performance at the FIVB Volleyball World Cup was an excellent example of the increasing depth of men’s volleyball – teams like Iran are now challenging the traditional volleyball heavyweights. The FIVB is focusing on developing the sport of volleyball globally and results like Iran’s are evidence of this new strategy working. The Iran men’s volleyball team is a great example of what can be achieved with dedication, application and commitment. I must congratulate the players and especially their new coach Mr Velasco, who is one of the greats of our sport. To take a team for the first time to a FIVB tournament and perform so well has to be admired. I look forward to seeing more impressive results from them. Tehran Times: Iran played well under guidance of Julio Velasco. Please explain the relationship between the coach and the team’s success. Jizhong Wei: A lot of any team’s success can be put down to the coach. He or she is the master technician responsible for guiding the talent he or she has at his or her disposal on the court. The players are obviously key to implementing a game plan however the coach is the one who devises what the game plan is exactly. One of the things we stress in the FIVB coaches courses is for the coach to have their own distinct style however he or she must also be adaptable to the conditions and personalities within their squad. Coaches are one of the most vital roles in our sport. They are the conductor of the orchestra and we are always looking to encourage and develop as many coaches as possible through our increasingly popular development program. Tehran Times: Iran defeated great teams like Serbia and Poland but lost to China. So many people in Iran said the Persians lost to China in terms of politic issues. What do you think about that? Jizhong Wei: I prefer not to mix politics and sport. One of the great attributes of volleyball is the clear cut enthusiasm and commitment to success by the players and teams alike. For the sake of the players, I would find it very hard to believe and disappointing to accept if politics was involved. Tehran Times: What is your opinion of Iranian talented youngsters like Amir Ghafur and Pouria Fayyazi? Jizhong Wei: As the FIVB President I wish them the very best and hope that they enjoy as much as possible the great opportunity of playing something they are very passionate about at the highest level. The youth of today are the future stars of our sport tomorrow. The essence of volleyball is enjoyment and opportunity – these two have obviously grasped that and have an exciting future ahead of them. Tehran Times: With this good performance, is there any chance the Iranian team play in World League? Jizhong Wei: The FIVB Volleyball World League has in place a strict qualification process which the Iran team is welcome to apply to partake in. There are several criteria requited to participate in the premier FIVB annual tournament for men; however the FIVB encourages all countries to participate. In that way, it is truly a World League. Tehran Times: Finally, what are your predictions for Asian volleyball moving forward? Jizhong Wei: Volleyball in Asia has a very bright future. The FIVB launched in 2010 a Development Fund which provides opportunity to all federations to apply to the FIVB – through their Confederation – for funding to support volleyball development projects. There are many countries within the Asia Confederation who could stand to benefit from this outstanding opportunity. The sport has suffered a little in the region due to the size of the Confederation however, with the FIVB’s new support strategy, major hurdles will be jumped. On the court, the likes of Iran, Japan and China and Thailand are great examples of what can be achieved. Asia has a particular style of play and it is something I would personally not like to see change. The speed is exciting and engaging and the world of volleyball needs it.