Rome, Italy, June 23, 2010 – The FIVB and the Italian Volleyball Federation celebrated 100 days until the beginning of the FIVB Men's World Championship Italia 2010 in Rome on Wednesday with a press conference to unveil the official anthem.
“We are in the final rush,” chairman of the Organizing Committee Carlo Salvatori said. “We are all working to show a great event and a special thanks goes also to the 10 local committees that are working hard to make this World Championship a memorable one."
Italian Volleyball Federation President Carlo Magri added: "I'm sure it will be a great World Championship. Ticket sales are going very well. We are confident it will be a great World Championship from an organizational and technical perspective. We have the foundations for a great tournament."
"This is an important season for Volleyball in Italy,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini said. “Especially considering the FIVB Men's World Championship this year will be followed by the women’s event in 2014. We are working well, we have the utmost attention to this important event because sport is an area of international cooperation and diplomacy.
"The World Championship unites the whole of the Italian Republic,” Secretary to the Prime Minister Gianni Letta said. “Volleyball is a popular discipline at all levels, able to mobilize significant sporting masses. This event is part of a policy that chooses the sports element of dialogue and confrontation. A thanks to all those who are working for this event, Volleyball is a discipline that conveys a growing enthusiasm."
Present was also one of the "Generation of Champions" Andrea Giani, the current coach of MRoma Volley, and Carmelo Pittera, the Italian national coach in 1978.
A total of 24 countries will compete across six pools for the first round of the 17th edition of the FIVB Men’s World Championship, which will be held across 10 Italian cities (Milan, Ancona, Catania, Florence, Modena, Reggio Calabria, Turin, Trieste, Verona and Rome) from September 25-October 10, 2010.
Pools for the 2010 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championships
Pool A - Italy, Japan, Egypt, Iran
Pool B - Brazil, Spain, Cuba, Tunisia
Pool C - Russia, Puerto Rico, Australia, Cameroon
Pool D - United States, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico
Pool E - Bulgaria, China, France, Czech Republic
Pool F - Serbia, Poland, Germany, Canada
A record-breaking number of nations (112) participated in the year-long qualifying process before 22 countries joined hosts Italy and defending champions Brazil in the final round.
For more information visit the FIVB Men's World Championship Italia 2010 page