Travel to Santo Domingo to watch some of the best volleyball in the world. Dominican Cristobal Marte, first vice president of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) recently announced the celebration of the Volleyball World Grand Prix Pool B competitions in Santo Domingo. The event, which will be held at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center’s Volleyball Pavilion from 8 to 10 June 2012, will be televised by CDN, Channel 37 on Cable TV.
Olympic champions the United States, ranked first, host Dominican Republic, ranked eighth, Germany, ranked ninth and Taiwan, ranked 28th will be competing in the event. The FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix is celebrating its 20th edition.
The Grand Prix, regarded as the world’s premier annual women’s volleyball tournament, is being held from June 8 to July 1 2012 around the world, starting in Santo Domingo this year. Simultaneously Pool A competitions will start in Macau, China (Puerto Rico, China, Thailand and Argentina). Pool C will see action in Busan, South Korea (Japan, Cuba, S. Korea, Turkey). Pool D will compete in Lodz, Poland (Poland, Serbia, Italy and Brazil). This year’s event is in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics.
In the 2011 tournament, the DR placed 12th.
A total of 16 teams will again take center stage across three weeks of top-class volleyball action. With each week featuring four pools in four cities, including Santo Domingo, millions of volleyball fans will be able to watch the world’s best players compete for a place in the finals.
Competition dates are 8-10 June 2012, 15-17 June 2012, and 22-24 June 2012. The finals will be played 27 June-1 July in Ningbo, China.
For the pools and to follow the series, see
www.fivb.org/EN/volleyball/competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2012/Pools.asp
www.fivb.org/EN/volleyball/competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2012/
www.volleywood.net/volleyball-tournaments/2012-grand-prix/2012-world-grand-prix-pools/