2003 World Cups in Japan
World Cups a huge success - President
Tokyo, Japan, November 27, 2003 - The Men's and Women's 2003 World Cup tournaments, which have been hosted by Japan throughout the month of November, have been called "a truly remarkable success" by FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta in Tokyo on Thursday. More
Pic: FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta with the victorious Chinese women's team in Osaka

Final Olympic berth goes to USA; China, Brazil already qualified
Osaka, Japan Nov. 15, 2003 –  USA soaked up the final Olympic berth on Saturday here at the World Cup of Women’s Volleyball, the first Olympic qualification tournament when Italy lost their first set in the match against Brazil thus putting themselves out of contention. China and Brazil were already qualified after Friday’s matches in this round robin 11-match series. And to close the tournament, China left as giant killers, defeating Japan (match stats)  in straight sets to exit the World Cup with a perfect scorecard - 11 consecutive wins to their credit. more Spanish German Pic: Most Valuable Player and top scorer, Malgorzata Glinka of Poland. Site A match reports; Site B match reports  Standings Results Match schedule  Best Players Pictures Team Profiles Player Profiles Coach Profiles

Final Rankings (win-loss ratio in parenthesis)
1, China, (11-0); 2, Brazil, (10-1); 3, USA (8-3) – all qualified for Athens 2004 Olympic Games ; 4, Italy (7-4); 5, Japan (7-4); 6, Cuba (6-5); 7, Turkey (5-6); 8, Poland (5-6); 9, Korea (3-8); 10, Dominican Republic (3-8);11, Argentina (1-10);12, Egypt (0-10).

World Cup Magnificent Seven
Best Scorer/MVP: Malgorzata Glinka, Poland
Best Spiker: Zhao Ruirui, China
Best Blocker: Valenka Menezes, Brazil
Best Server: Zoila Barros Fernandez , Cuba
Best Setter: Feng Kun, China
Best Libero: Arlene Xavier, Brazil
Special award to Japan’s Yoshie Takeshita

FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta receives Prince Takamado Memorial Prize
Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 14, 2003 - FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta on Friday was presented with the Prince Takamado Memorial Prize for environmental excellence in a special ceremony in the Japanese capital in the presence of Japan's Princess Takamado, the widow of the late prince.  More Spanish French  German Pic: FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta


Official FIVB Statement
Sapporo, 9 November 2003 - We have the duty of informing the public opinion that for the first time in Volleyball history a player has been tested positive after a sample “A” showed the presence of Methandienone.  more  German Spanish

Drawing of lots completed; World Cup match schedule announced
October 03, 2003 - Korea and USA launch the FIVB Women's World Cup tournament on November 1 when they clash in Tokyo at 12:00 (local time) to kick off the quest for a fast track entry into the Olympic Games in Athens, 2004. The full match schedules for the 2003 Women's and Men's World Cups were confirmed on Friday following the drawing of lots in Tokyo. The 12 teams in the men's and women's tournaments play a round robin format in two groups in which all teams meet each other. More Women's World Cup schedule Pic: Action from the Drawing of Lots


 
Wild Cards announced for first Olympic qualifier;
teams now complete
Lausanne, Switzerland, October 1, 2003 - The International Volleyball Federation on Wednesday announced the allocation of two wild cards for each of the Men's and Women's World Cup tournament to take place in Japan in November. The top three teams qualify directly for the Athens 2004 Olympic tournament. In the women's tournament Italy and Dominican Republic were granted the wild card entries to complete the 12 competing teams, and in the men's tournament they went to Serbia and Montenegro and Egypt. The awarding of wild cards was made jointly by the FIVB and hosts of the World Cup tournaments, the Japan Volleyball Federation. More French Spanish Pic: Serbia and Montenegro takes on Italy during the 2003 World League

                                 
About the tournament - Competition Formula
Twelve women’s and men’s national teams play off in cities all over Japan for the right to a fast lane ticket into the Olympic tournament in Athens 2004. Teams are made up as follows: Hosts Japan, continental champions and vice champions from Europe, Asia, Norceca and South America, continental champion from Africa plus two wild card teams nominated jointly by FIVB and the Japan Volleyball Association. Teams play a single-round robin format, in two parallel groups (Site A and Site B). The women play in Tokyo, Nagoya, Sapporo, Osaka, Kagoshima, Sendai and Toyama and the men’s tournament in Tokyo, Horoshima, Fukuoka, Nagano, Hamamatsu and Okayama.
World Cup History   Competition Formula  Qualification


About the Hosts
Japan is the traditional host of this tournament since it began with the first edition in 1970. Japan brings to the tournament some of the finest state-of-the art sports complexes in the world, as well as the world-renowned Japanese hospitality and an enthusiasm for the sport of Volleyball that spans decades. Host broadcasters FUJI TV bring with them a wealth of technical expertise and experience and will deliver the excitement and action of the 2003 World Cups into the living rooms of Volleyball enthusiasts around the world.



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Above Pic: Life size cardboard cut outs of the
Japanese star players as
part of the Fuji TV's promotion!

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