MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. The International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) has refused to pay any compensation to the Russian side after the 2022 Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Russia was canceled, Alexander Yaremenko, the secretary general of the Russian Volleyball Federation (RVF), told TASS on Thursday.
FIVB announced a decision on March 1 to relocate the previously scheduled 2022 Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Russia to co-host countries Poland and Slovenia, citing the developments in Ukraine as the reason.
On November 15, 2018, the FIVB Congress in Mexico’s Cancun voted that the Men’s Volleyball World Championship would be hosted by ten cities across Russia in 2022, namely Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk. The tournament was to be held between August 26 and September 11.
"FIVB’s initially announced stance was that the tournament was canceled under force majeure circumstances," Yaremenko said in an interview with TASS. "Such a provision is stipulated in any contract and certainly in such an important one as the organization of the world championship."
"This provision stated that in case the world championship is canceled an applicant should be reimbursed half its bid," he continued. "Russia paid $40 million and $20 million must now be returned."
"However, FIVB altered its position afterwards, stating that they incurred additional costs in organizing this tournament because, as far as I know, they encountered additional difficulties to hold this championship," Yaremenko noted.
"They could have made a profit in Russia but they had to carry on with the organization of the world championship to maintain their reputation," he said. "They have shifted their stance and Russia is likely to be the one to blame for the cancellation of this tournament instead of the [previously announced] force majeure circumstances."
"They allege now that FIVB could have come up with a $15 million countersuit [in regard to Russia], but they decided against it, the championship was canceled and this is how it all must end," the RVF high-ranking official stated.
Yaremenko also named the FIVB’s stance as one of the reasons why the Russian Volleyball Federation lodged a lawsuit with a Swiss court against the world’s governing volleyball body demanding compensation in the amount of $80 million over the relocation of the world championship.
"This is why we had to deal with lawsuits and the initial claim must stipulate a maximum sum considering our declared losses [caused by the canceled championship]. This is why this is a hefty sum. This [the trial] can last for a long time," Yaremenko added.
The 20th edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship was held in Poland and Slovenia between August 26 and September 11, 2022. Team Italy beat Poland in four sets of the final match to claim its 4th overall championship’s title. In the match for the 2022 bronze of the world championship, Brazil ousted Slovenia in four sets.
International sanctions against Russian volleyball
In late October, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) announced that the Russian national women’s and men’s volleyball teams were not included on the list of participants at the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in France.
On February 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.
Following the IOC recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.
In mid-October, IOC President Thomas Bach announced that the Olympic body recommended keeping athletes from Russia and Belarus suspended from international sports tournaments.