Press release

Doha, Qatar, June 26, 2011 – Asian champions Chang will take on Azerbaijan’s Rabita Baku and the South America champion, which is still to be decided, in Pool D at the 2011 edition of the FIVB Club World Championships which will be held in Doha, Qatar from October 8-14 following the Drawing of Lots which took place in Doha on Sunday.

Chang won the Asian women’s title on Sunday and was immediately drawn into a tough group in international volleyball premier club tournament.

In Pool C, VakiGunes Istambul, representing Turkey in place of last year’s champions Fenerbahce, will play Kenya’s Kenya Prisons and Las Criollas of Puerto Rico.
In the men’s competition, two-time men’s defending champions Trentino of Italy will play Egypt’s Al-Alhy, hosts Al-Arabi of Qatar as well as a team from South America, which is still to be determined, in Pool B while Pool A features Jastrzebski of Poland, Canada’s Spartans of Vancouver, Zenit Kazan of Russia and the Asia champion, which is still to be determined.

All teams in each pool will play each other once before the top two sides in each group advance to the semifinals.

Earlier in the day, the FIVB and the Qatar Volleyball Association signed an agreement for Qatar to host the FIVB Club World Championships through until 2012.

Originally running from 1991-1994, the FIVB Club World Championships returned for the first time in 17 years in 2009 with the men’s edition, which saw Trentino claim the title. Their victory in 2010 saw them become the second club in history to have won the world title twice, following the example of Misura Milano who did so back in 1990 and 1992, although Trentino's feat of back-to-back triumphs is unique in club world championship history.

The women’s edition was successfully reintroduced in 2010 after a 16-year break since the last edition in 1994 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Istanbul club Fenerbahce’s victory last year saw them become the second European team in history to win the title after the Italians of Messaggero Ravenna in 1992. Fenerbahce, the first Turkish side to land a major international honour, achieved the feat in some style, not losing a single set over the course of the competition.

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