(ATR) The International Volleyball Federation tells Around the Ringsthe Japanese organizers of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup "should be very proud of the jobs they have done" in Tokyo.
"They are very experienced," FIVB press director Richard Baker saidFriday at the close of competition in Yoyogi Stadium.
"They hold lots of events in the last five years –not just the World Cup, but world championships and the Grand Champions Cup."
Regarding the organization of the Olympic qualifying tournament, Baker told ATRhe was satisfied with all of the arrangements.
"They are very enthusiastic on volleyball, and they are very good at what they do," he said.
"It is a pleasure to hold a tournament here in Japan."
The 15-day competition kicked off Nov. 4 with a dozen countries competing for three places at the 2012 Games.
Italy successfully defended its World Cup title by beating winless Kenya in straight sets Friday.
USA and China rounded out the top three and will also advance to London next year.
Referees, Players Also Praise Japan
FIVB officials aren't the only ones satisfied with Japan's staging of the World Cup. Players are also enjoying Tokyo.
Junjing Yang, the blocker for China, was very impressed with the involvement of fans throughout the two-week tournament.
"This is the first time for me to play at the World Cup. I enjoyed playing here because the audiences support not only the host team but also us. I was motivated during the games when I heard they are cheeringfor us," she told ATR.
"The fans are very knowledgeable about volleyball. They are very organized and also very enthusiastic supporting the host team win or lose. I am enjoying atmosphere of playing here."
Referees are also praising Japan's organization.
Lourdes Perez, the competition's only Cuban female referee, stresses that she has learned a lot from her first major FIVB tournament.
"I am really impressed with the high level of the competition and the professional job done by the refereesand the performance of the players," she said.
For the Foreseeable Future
With successful promotion of volleyball throughout Japan, the event attracted lots of interest. The host country drew 5,000 fans on average for its matches. The attendance for other countries kept the gymnasium close to half its capacity, according to statistics released by local organizers.
Despite a long-term agreement in place to keep the FIVB World Cup in Japan for the foreseeable future, Baker insisted that wouldn't necessarily always be the case.
"The agreement will come to an end," he told ATR.
"In the future, it is possible for the tournament to be held in other countries."
The Women's World Cup was introduced in 1973 and transferred to Japan in 1977. FIVB started to hold the quadrennial qualifier inthe year preceding the Olympic Games in 1991.
The men's edition begins Sunday at Yoyogi Stadium and will run through Dec. 4.
Written and reported in Tokyo by Tencent's Norman Li and Valentine Fan
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