The format of the tourney not even has been altered. 20 teams sounds like a lot for a competition whereby the preliminary round lasts only three weeks. FIVB showed again that they only care about marketing. I wonder why they granted qualification to the top 4 of the european league if they were willing to give the invitational card to GER, ITA, RUS, TUR. Besides, I think the other european reps (POL, CZE, BUL, NED, SRB) should feel offended by the attitudes of the federation. They may have ruined the chances of those teams to have the pleasure of reaching the final round of the GP. If the FIVB keeps on adding up more vacancies to the competition every time that a traditional team stand aside of it...well, they'd better extinguish the World Championship because we're going to have one every year. 
2013 FIVB World Grand Prix
-
-
The format of the tourney not even has been altered. 20 teams sounds like a lot for a competition whereby the preliminary round lasts only three weeks. FIVB showed again that they only care about marketing. I wonder why they granted qualification to the top 4 of the european league if they were willing to give the invitational card to GER, ITA, RUS, TUR. Besides, I think the other european reps (POL, CZE, BUL, NED, SRB) should feel offended by the attitudes of the federation. They may have ruined the chances of those teams to have the pleasure of reaching the final round of the GP. If the FIVB keeps on adding up more vacancies to the competition every time that a traditional team stand aside of it...well, they'd better extinguish the World Championship because we're going to have one every year.
It was CEV's decision to give all spots for WGP to the top 4 of European League because allegedly nobody wanted to host a separate qualification tournament for Grand Prix. Originally, only the best two teams of EL should have qualified for GP plus two more teams from another tournament.
-
The format of the tourney not even has been altered. 20 teams sounds like a lot for a competition whereby the preliminary round lasts only three weeks. FIVB showed again that they only care about marketing. I wonder why they granted qualification to the top 4 of the european league if they were willing to give the invitational card to GER, ITA, RUS, TUR. Besides, I think the other european reps (POL, CZE, BUL, NED, SRB) should feel offended by the attitudes of the federation. They may have ruined the chances of those teams to have the pleasure of reaching the final round of the GP. If the FIVB keeps on adding up more vacancies to the competition every time that a traditional team stand aside of it...well, they'd better extinguish the World Championship because we're going to have one every year.
There must be competitions every year. The reason why the sport is not as popular around the world is that for international competitions, everyone thinks that volleyball is played only every 4 years, excluding the World Championships. Here in America, beach volleyball is popular only in Olympic years. Individual country leagues have championships every year. FIFA can get away with not having their major tournaments every year, but not the FIVB.
Without tournaments like the World GP and World League, the national teams get stagnant and the FIVB does not grow period. FIVB needs to market the game, that is its job.
They were right to give Wild Cards to Germany, Italy, Russia and Turkey. 3 of those 4 teams went to the Olympics in the last year. Plus look at their rankings, "No, good teams should not go play in the World Grand Prix." Of course not. FIVB took a firm stand against the CEV European League.As for the number of teams. 20 may be high, but 16 would be about right. For the finals, they should have 8 teams advance and therefore have 2 pools there instead of 6 team round robin.
Are there gaps between the best nations and worst nations in the World GP? Yes, absolutely. However, the FIVB has to give chances (sometimes too many) for mid-level and low-level teams to play against tougher competition than they would face in the confederation. Kenya is often the best women's team in Africa, but they don' win many sets, let alone matches in other tournaments. It needs its players to go overseas, but if they can't then the FIVB has to bring them to these tournaments to show them what they need to do to improve against stiffer competition.
-
Germany will use WGP as preparation for ECH, so I don't expect any new faces next year...maybe in 2014.
I hope grün will be again in NT cause i really believe she adds so much things to germany and germany can be so successful in next GP
.And i dont want to see beier and hippe..Now its time to try izquierdo as OH and louise mauersberger as backup for kozuch. 
-
Display MoreThere must be competitions every year. The reason why the sport is not as popular around the world is that for international competitions, everyone thinks that volleyball is played only every 4 years, excluding the World Championships. Here in America, beach volleyball is popular only in Olympic years. Individual country leagues have championships every year. FIFA can get away with not having their major tournaments every year, but not the FIVB.
Without tournaments like the World GP and World League, the national teams get stagnant and the FIVB does not grow period. FIVB needs to market the game, that is its job.
They were right to give Wild Cards to Germany, Italy, Russia and Turkey. 3 of those 4 teams went to the Olympics in the last year. Plus look at their rankings, "No, good teams should not go play in the World Grand Prix." Of course not. FIVB took a firm stand against the CEV European League.As for the number of teams. 20 may be high, but 16 would be about right. For the finals, they should have 8 teams advance and therefore have 2 pools there instead of 6 team round robin.
Are there gaps between the best nations and worst nations in the World GP? Yes, absolutely. However, the FIVB has to give chances (sometimes too many) for mid-level and low-level teams to play against tougher competition than they would face in the confederation. Kenya is often the best women's team in Africa, but they don' win many sets, let alone matches in other tournaments. It needs its players to go overseas, but if they can't then the FIVB has to bring them to these tournaments to show them what they need to do to improve against stiffer competition.
I absolutley agree with your comments. Mid and low-level teams have to get the chance to participate in those competitions. In every sports you see some weak teams participating, so I dont understand the complaints here in volleyball. My only consideration is, that an african team will qualify but in the end withdraw because of financial problems so that may be Korea gets a Wildcard. I dont want that and I hope to see Egypt, ALgeria oder Kenya in WGP. FIVBs task is also to help those countries who financially are not at highest level.
-
yah they can help but only to a certain extent
-
I guess, from next year on the top 10 of Wordlranking will be directly qualified to WGP, since all top 10 teams are participating. Am I right ?
-
It extends to 20 teams in order to get more teams to play in international stage.
Grand Prix is more about money and gaining experiences of playing each other than the winning the honor.I have feeling that many top players from different teams will not play.
-
İmho Turkey is better team than Russia especially with Sokolova and Gamova gone. As for Bra and Us they are on different level i believe they will bring their B teams just to be fair to oponents
In other words, Bra and Usa teams have almost no weakness at any position that makes them very hard to beat. Current Turkish MBs level are really low compared to those top team's MBs. So, Turkey must naturalize Poljak and Furst and then we will witness really competitive games against them.
-
Why Furst when you can easly have Mari? She started her career as MB plus she wants to change NT anyway
-
Why Furst when you can easly have Mari? She started her career as MB plus she wants to change NT anyway
Current Mari is not the same Mari as in the past. Moreover, i won't be surprised if Mari and Fb part the ways in the middle of this season. -
In other words, Bra and Usa teams have almost no weakness at any position that makes them very hard to beat. Current Turkish MBs level are really low compared to those top team's MBs. So, Turkey must naturalize Poljak and Furst and then we will witness really competitive games against them.
If we would neutralize someone, she must be Kim Yeon
especially by taking her problems with Korean Federation into consideration -
You seriously believe that Kim would leave her own Nt ? She is idol to youngsters and loves her country very much i had read several interviews and i can guarantee you that this won't happen
All teams have weaknesses problem is that do you have enough quality to exploit it ?
-
If we would neutralize someone, she must be Kim Yeon
especially by taking her problems with Korean Federation into consideration Agree with henry75, simply no chance for Kim. She is kind of very loyal player, you can see this in her every arguments especially during the problematic process. Even if the circumstances become impossible for her to play for Korean NT, i strongly believe she wouldn't choose to play for any of NT.
-
All teams have weaknesses problem is that do you have enough quality to exploit it ?
I don't get it exactly what you mean but if you are talking about quality to beat Bra and Usa in case of naturalizing Poljak and Furst, yes i believe Turkey would compete equally against them, maybe even beat them imo. In the games at Olympics there were obvious differences in the details, but i don't think the level difference is so much like you said. The games were almost first for our players against them in a different athmosphere like olympics so i expect other games with impatience next year. I hope everything goes well especially for our MBs.
-
This is not World Grand Prix ..( It is Europe Grand Prix )
-
-
In other words, Bra and Usa teams have almost no weakness at any position that makes them very hard to beat. Current Turkish MBs level are really low compared to those top team's MBs. So, Turkey must naturalize Poljak and Furst and then we will witness really competitive games against them.
yeah almost... USA needs to find a libero that doesn't compromise the quality of the team
-
They should try Logan Tom as libero
-
Karch should invite Natalie Hagglund. She was awarded the best libero at Junior World Championship in 2011. She is a gifted libero.
