· FIVB has partnered with the IOC and the Olympafrica Foundation to come up with a ‘starters’ volleyball book called the O!YES Volleyball Manual
· The IOC and Olympafrica believe that volleyball is an exciting team sport that perfectly embodies the Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence.
· The book was distributed earlier this month in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where 12 English and 23 French-speaking Olympafrica directors were taken through the contents by the Head Coach of Ivory Coast Volleyball, Mirko Culic
The FIVB has partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympafrica to create a ‘starters’ volleyball book called the O!YES Volleyball Manual.
The manual has been produced as a comprehensive guide for learning to play volleyball, with an emphasis on the Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence.
The IOC and Olympafrica have added volleyball into their O!YES programme alongside football, basketball and athletics given the sports’ huge popularity around the world with athletes and fans alike, as well as its excellent embodiment of the Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence. O!YES, which stands for “Olympafrica Youth Empowerment through Sport” and aims to strengthen social development, inclusion and gender equality through sport and the promotion of Olympic values started in 2022.
The manual was distributed at an Olympafrica Directors’ meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where 12 English and 23 French speaking Olympafrica directors were taken through its contents by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Coach Mirko Culic, who is the Head Coach of Ivory Coast national teams, as well as female youth coach Alice Miessan, herself a former Ivory Coast international.
There were classroom sessions and practical sessions as the 35 directors were immersed in the world of volleyball, learning various volleyball skills and drills.
FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° said: “The FIVB is delighted to partner with the IOC and Olympafrica for the benefit of our sport’s development in Africa. I am certain that the O!YES Volleyball Manual will be a valuable education tool for the volleyball and sports specialists in the continent as we look forward to spreading our beautiful sport across the world.”
IOC director of Olympic Solidarity, NOC Relations and O365, James Macleod, said: ”We are thrilled to see volleyball added to the O!YES programme thanks to the collaboration with FIVB. This will allow thousands of young girls and boys who take part in activities of the Olympafrica centres on a daily basis to discover Olympic values through the practice of volleyball.”
Olympafrica Foundation President and IOC Member Mustafa Berraf said: “In just a few years, O!YES has already become the flagship programme across the whole network of Olympafrica centres. We are very grateful to be joined by FIVB as a partner. This is a unique opportunity for the youth in our centres to strengthen their skills in volleyball and for the sport to develop in many African countries.”
The International Olympafrica Foundation (FIO) was created in 1989 and has now expanded significantly, to more than 40 centres in 35 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Operating under the auspices of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Olympafrica’s core focus is on youth development through sport, ensuring that young people are continually exposed to it as a means of ensuring growth in social, economic and educational opportunities in the region. The IOC has worked with the FIO for more than 35 years, supporting the organisation in offering activities across its entire network of centres.