Association of National Olympic Committees President receives highest volleyball accolade

Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah receiving his award from FIVB counterpart Ary S. Graça ©FIVB

Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has been presented with an International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Grand Cross, the highest honour available in the sport, during a visit to the governing body's headquarters in Lausanne.

The Kuwaiti, who also heads the Olympic Council of Asia, received the award from FIVB President Ary S. Graça, and claimed afterwards to be impressed with progress within the sport ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where the sport is set to be among the highlights in volleyball-mad Brazil..

“It is a real honour for me to receive this award," he said afterwards.

"As ANOC President I have enjoyed a very strong working relationship with the FIVB for many years and I believe that it is very important that all NOCs and International Federations continue to work together closely in order to provide the best possible service to athletes and the wider Olympic Movement.

“Volleyball has been radically increasing its participation around the world in recent years and for that I would like to pass on my congratulations."

Sheikh Ahmad posed with FIVB officials following the meeting in Lausanne ©FIVB — Sheikh Ahmad posing with FIVB officials following the meeting in Lausanne ©FIVB

Sheikh Ahmad, who will return to Lausanne early next month for the latest ANOC Executive Council meeting, is likely to see beach volleyball as an integral part of plans for the inaugural World Beach Games, about which "exciting plans" are due to be announced at the meeting.

The Games, an event set to follow the success of the Asian Beach Games, was initially envisaged as a collaboration between ANOC and SportAccord, but, to general surprise, the event was awarded to Sochi to be held for the first time in 2019 at last month's SportAccord General Assembly in the Russian coastal resort.

It remains to be seen whether ANOC will support this venture or launch rival plans.

Last November, Sheikh Ahmad also entered the debate on the arrest of Anglo-Iranian Ghoncheh Ghavami, ostensibly for violating a ban on women attending volleyball matches in Iran, before her release on bail later in the year.

It is "vital" different cultures should be respected when considering the issue, Sheikh Ahmad claimed, before warning how political agendas should be kept out of the sports world.