Tokyo 2020 Games to be Built on Delivery, Celebration, Innovation

Tokyo, 8 January 2013 – The Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee revealed its vision for the Olympic and Paralympic Games today, promising Games built on Delivery, Celebration and Innovation. Driven by a “forward-thinking” approach both to hosting and Games legacy, Bid leaders promised Tokyo will use sport to help continue the creation of a sustainable society and deliver a full range of positive physical and social Olympic legacy initiatives.

Tokyo 2020’s three key pillars are:

Delivery: Tokyo will provide guaranteed quality and maximum benefits. Certainty in delivery will be assured by the financial strength, world-leading infrastructure and hosting experience of one of the world’s safest and most welcoming cities. Delivering early will allow focusing on the crucial ‘extra’ elements that will help set Tokyo’s celebration apart.

Celebration: Tokyo will stage an exciting and welcoming celebration that will inspire the youth of the world. The Games will take place in the very heart of a truly dynamic global capital, fully-integrated with the life of its 35 million people. 

Innovation: Tokyo will use all the creativity of the world’s most forward-thinking city to benefit sport and the Games, and take the Games to the capital of the future – the city that continually sets global trends in everything from fashion to technology. 

Tokyo 2020’s Candidature File was unveiled by IOC Member and President of both the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tokyo 2020, Tsunekazu Takeda; Governor of Tokyo and Tokyo 2020 Chairman, Naoki Inose; Japan’s newly appointed Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hakubun Shimomura; Tokyo 2020 Sports Director and member of Japan’s Montreal 1976 Games gold medal-winning Volleyball team, Yuko Arakida; three-time Olympic 55-kilogram Freestyle Wrestling gold medallist and Tokyo 2020 Bid Ambassador, Saori Yoshida; and five-time Paralympian and Tokyo 2020 Bid Ambassador, Wakako Tsuchida. 

Takeda said, “The Bid is highlighting its ability to deliver Games in the heart of the city with guaranteed quality and maximum benefits. Many of our venues are in place; most of the Games infrastructure is in place; the USD 4.5 billion dollars budget to complete these tasks is already in the bank. This means we can focus our energies on ‘the extras’ that will ensure the best Games experience possible for athletes, Olympic and Paralympic Families, and spectators alike. Tokyo will create a legacy for the city, the country and global sport.”

Governor Inose followed by emphasising the city of Tokyo’s rock-steady backing: “The Games plan Tokyo proposes encompasses all of Tokyo’s assets as one of the world’s most forward-thinking cities. More than anything, the city of Tokyo will be in the centre of all activities to ensure a successful Games.” 

Shimomura underscored the fact that Tokyo’s Bid has full government support. “The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Bid enjoys unanimous cross party support, and newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s first direct order to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology was to realise our goal of hosting the 2020 Games, and continue in our aspiration to further promote Japan as a sports nation.”

The redevelopment of the Kasumigaoka National Stadium, built for the Tokyo 1964 Games, will be a vivid demonstration of Japan’s cutting-edge technology; with a capacity of more than 80,000, the stadium will offer athletes and spectators state-of-the-art facilities and a breath-taking atmosphere.

The stadium will first serve as the main stadium for the 2019 Rugby World Cup to be hosted in Japan, and will be positioned as the centre of sports and culture not only for the country, but for all of Asia. Shimomura added: “It will be an all-weather facility with a retractable roof. In addition, the stadium will exemplify Japan’s propensity for high technology with cutting-edge audio equipment, and movable seats depending on the competition or performance.” 

In Tokyo, philosophically and geographically, athletes will be at the centre of the Games. Athletes will live and compete in downtown Tokyo, and will take centre stage. 85 per cent of the Tokyo venues and all Olympic Family accommodation will be within eight kilometres of the Olympic Village. 

Tokyo’s Candidature File details a range of ‘winning assets’ as well as both tangible and “soft” legacies that the city, the country and global sport can expect if the Games are hosted in Tokyo in 2020, including:

– International Exchange Plaza (IEP), the part of the new Olympic Village development, devoted to sport in legacy. It will house national and global cultural, education and sporting institutions, ensuring the legacy of Tokyo 2020 will be a hub for international exchange research, events and cooperative projects.

– Tokyo Bay Zone: Tokyo will see the birth of a new sports and entertainment district in one of the city’s most desirable waterfront areas. It will be the focus of a plan that will see 11 permanent venues built, including the Aquatics Centre, the venue for Swimming, Diving and Synchronised Swimming competitions, and Ariake Arena, the Volleyball venue. The new venues will help regenerate this prime area – and deliver sports facilities that will serve residents in the very heart of the city for decades to come.

– Heritage Zone: Tokyo is demonstrating a strong commitment to its Olympic Legacy. Fifteen other venues, including several from the 1964 Games, will extend their legacy for another 50 years. Examples include the Kasumigaoka National Stadium, site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics, Football and Rugby, and Nippon Budokan, the birthplace of Judo set to host the competition again in 2020. 

– Tokyo Vision 2020: The 2020 Games plan is fully aligned with Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s (TMG) long-term urban and environmental transformation plan that will turn the city into a showcase of urban sustainability. Tokyo Vision 2020 includes initiatives for green technology, transport and sport, especially for the younger generation, as part of meeting the city’s long-term development needs for new homes, offices, transport and green space. For example, regardless of whether Tokyo is selected as Host City, over the next eight years, 537 hectares of green areas and corridors will be created in the city.

Yesterday, Masato Mizuno, accompanied by Homare Sawa and Takayuki Suzuki, handed over the Candidature File to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne. This was an important step in the run-up to the final vote in Buenos Aires, on 7 September 2013, that will decide the host city of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the XVI Paralympic Games in 2020.

Three new Tokyo 2020 Bid Ambassadors were also announced today: Shingo Kunieda, men’s single wheelchair tennis gold medallist at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games; Mikako Kotani, bronze medallist for solo and duet synchronised swimming at the Seoul 1988 Games; and Hiromi Miyake, London 2012 Games weightlifting silver medallist in the 48-kilogram division.

For futher inquiries
(Mr) Masa Takaya
Communications Manager, Japanese Olympic Committee
Acting Communications Director, Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee

(Ms) Nao Miyawaki
Head of International Communications, Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee

(Ms) Hiromi Sato
Manager, International Communications, Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee
Phone: 81-3-6279-0049 / Fax: 81-3-6279-0157 / pressoffice@tokyo2020.jp

Businesses urged to give financial backing to UK 2012 athletes

Small and medium businesses have been urged to give their financial backing to UK athletes for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

‘Our Team 2012’ is a joint venture launched by the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association UK Sport and the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and aims to raise £15 million (US$23 million).

The initiative is encouraging businesses to invest £20,000 (US$30,000) into the development of potential competitors ahead of the Games in two years’ time.

Employees of the firms will then get the chance to meet the athletes, get access to hospitality events and tickets to sporting events across the UK.

Sports and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said: “Sports funding has always come from a mixture of exchequer, lottery and private sources.

“But there is a record amount of exchequer money in the London 2012 process and we’ve already raised the percentage of National Lottery money going towards the sport.

“When it comes to private funding, that is what Our Team 2012 is all about. This is a fantastic opportunity for small or medium sized businesses, who cannot access tier one sponsorship but who want to get involved in these Games.

“With just two years to go until the Games begin, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to support the UK’s Team 2012 athletes on their home turf.”

BBC Sport Seal New GB Davis Cup Broadcast Deal Until 2016

BBC Sport have announced today a new three-year broadcast deal to show all of Great Britain’s Davis Cup World Group matches until 2016. 

The GB Davis Cup Team has returned to the elite World Group of the competition for the first time since 2008.

They face the USA on clay in their first round tie on 31 January – 2 February in San Diego. The matches will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Three with commentary on BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra.

BBC Director of Sport, Barbara Slater, commented on the new deal: “2014 has the markings of a fantastic year of sport and I’m pleased that we can now add Great Britain’s Davis Cup matches to our coverage on the BBC. These ties are a welcome addition to our existing sport portfolio which this year includes the Winter Olympics, the World Cup, Wimbledon, Commonwealth Games, The Open, ATP World Tour Finals and Formula 1.”

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti added: “This new agreement will guarantee that British tennis fans have widespread access to our premier team competition, and sees a return of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas to free-to-air television in the UK for the first time since 2008.”

McLaren Mercedes Appoint Tim Goss as Technical Director

McLaren Mercedes have announced that Tim Goss, formerly the team’s Director of Engineering, has been appointed to the position of Technical Director, with immediate effect. 

Tim joined McLaren in 1990 as a Development Engineer, and has been a central and successful stalwart of the team’s engineering and technical function ever since, leading car design operations since his elevation to Director of Engineering in January 2011. 

Tim Goss said: “I’m delighted to have been offered the Technical Directorship of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – one of the most prestigious positions in global sport – and I’m greatly looking forward to making a significant contribution to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ ongoing success in that role. 

“As before, I’ll be leading our car design operations, while continuing the process of evolving and improving our technical and engineering function in collaboration with Martin [Whitmarsh], Jonathan [Neale], Sam [Michael], Neil [Oatley] and the rest of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ hugely experienced technical and engineering team.”

Martin Whitmarsh added: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to Tim on his new position, which, after more than 20 years of exceptional service for McLaren, he richly deserves. 

“His quiet and unassuming persona conceals a fierce competitiveness and a wealth of experience, coupled to an unrivalled level of expertise in the field of Formula 1 car design and engineering. 

“It’s a little-known fact, for example, that over the past 23 years he’s made crucial technical and engineering contributions to the winning of five of McLaren’s 12 Drivers’ World Championships and three of McLaren’s eight Constructors’ World Championships, and that he’s been the principal definer and developer of McLaren’s F1 car design function for more than five years. 

“In line with what Tim has said, I firmly believe that our technical and engineering team is the best in the F1 business, and that its strength in depth has always been and will continue to be an important element of our on-track success. 

“Moreover, I’m certain that, in his expanded role, Tim will continue to lead it very capably indeed, and will evolve and improve it. That’s his brief, and it’s already clear that he’s prepared to embrace it with energy and enthusiasm.  

“In truth, though, this is a natural evolution in Tim’s already very successful career, and the fact that the decision to offer him our Technical Directorship was so straightforward for Jonathan and me demonstrates two things: the robust and logical succession-planning that underpins the senior engineering personnel structure within Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and the commitment we have to developing our people, over many years, allowing their talent and expertise to flourish in a collaborative and collegiate environment. 

“That’s good work practice, and it’s worth lap-time.”

This follows speculation that Paddy Lowe, the previous Mclaren Technical Director, may have a position in Mercedes for 2014 clearing the way for Ross Brawn to exit the team.

“Paddy [Lowe] will be performing a different role within McLaren until the end of the year. He’s been a good and successful F1 Technical Director, and we wish him well when he embarks on a fresh challenge in 2014.”

Istanbul 2020 Unveils Pioneering Vision in Candidature File

Istanbul; 8 January 2013: Istanbul 2020 today unveiled its pioneering offer to the Olympic Movement: a technically outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Games delivered against the incomparable backdrop of Istanbul, generic with a promise of a profound legacy impact for Turkey and the whole Olympic Movement.

The three pillars of Istanbul 2020’s Games concept are:

• Technical Excellence
• An Incomparable Games Backdrop
• A Profound Legacy Impact

Technical Excellence

Istanbul’s bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the latest phase of a journey in Turkey that began with the Olympic Law in 1992 and has encompassed five bids in the last two decades. Istanbul’s 2020 Games vision is aligned perfectly to The 2023 Master Plan: Turkey’s ambitious long-term development programme culminating in the centenary of the Republic in 2023.

The Istanbul 2020 Games would be hosted across four zones of the city, each with a compelling sustainability theme, comprising seven clusters and five precincts. Of the 36 proposed venues, ten are already planned to meet pressing community and elite training requirements. A further 11 are already in place and regularly hosting top-class sport. Five of the venues will be temporary and fully demountable and ten more additional permanent venues will be constructed, driven by legacy and sustainability objectives.

The infrastructure necessary to support these Games of outstanding excellence comes from Istanbul’s Games vision, which is more closely connected to municipal and national development objectives than any other bid in history. As a result, many of the delivery frameworks and partners that will be responsible for realising that vision are already in place, activated and producing tangible results. 

TOKI, the existing National Government agency responsible for construction, has been delivering 15,000 new houses – the equivalent of an Olympic Village – every quarter for the last eight years. Istanbul has seen a $1.2 billion average annual spend on transport upgrades since 2005, and the city’s most significant infrastructure projects – including new extended Metro and rail lines,  Bosphorus crossings and the first phase of what will become the world’s largest airport – are all scheduled for completion before 2018. This wide-ranging investment will allow Istanbul to offer athletes average travel times from the Olympic City Village to venue of just 16 minutes.

Turkey’s National Sports Plan has catalysed a similar boom in the sports industry. $1.77 billion will be invested in 415 sports facilities and 24 new stadia nationwide by 2014. As the 2012 European Capital of Sport, Istanbul hosted 12 major international sporting events, which have cemented Istanbul’s position as a trusted, capable host of world sport’s top properties. The WTA Championships posted record aggregate and average attendances and a $40 million economic impact for the city; the IAAF World Indoor Championships was a sell-out and produced Turkey’s first ever indoor athletics medals; the FINA World Championships brought 900-plus athletes from 160 National Federations to Europe’s largest multipurpose indoor arena.  Istanbul 2020 has been able to draw on the growing pool of event expertise in Turkey to produce a concept that will create the ideal conditions for elite athletic performance.

The unprecedented level of delivery capacity already in place is underpinned by one of the most fertile financial markets on the planet. Last year’s sovereign credit rating upgrade to Investment Grade is expected to trigger an inflow of up to $32 billion in the next two years. Experts predict that Turkey will be the fastest-growing OECD economy from 2011-2017 and Istanbul’s economy alone is now larger than that of 12 countries in the European Union. 

This financial foundation, combined with a real appetite for investment and development, has empowered the Bid Committee’s government stakeholders – from the Prime Minister through every level of national, regional and municipal government – to provide all the requisite financial guarantees without qualification. Istanbul 2020 has even made provision for an Innovation Fund to be directed at specific initiatives to help enhance key aspects of Games delivery. 

An Incomparable Games Backdrop

Istanbul 2020 will be the first Olympic and Paralympic Games ever staged in the secular democracy of Turkey, or indeed the region. As such, it will connect the Olympic Movement with a new and rapidly developing market for the first time in its history: a market which in Turkey alone contains a dynamic youth population of 50% under-25s and 20 million under the age of 20. The Games will channel all the energy and passion of the region into a single unforgettable celebration of sport.

Istanbul 2020 will also be the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in history to take place across two continents simultaneously. In doing so, it will embody the shared role of the city and the Games as a unifying force. Hosting the Games will be the crowning achievement of a city that has been a physical and philosophical meeting point for millennia, and has evolved into one of the world’s most symbolically powerful and geopolitically significant theatres.

Istanbul is one of the most iconic cities on the planet, where tradition meets innovation and the ancient meets the ultra-modern.  It has been a city of inspiration for thousands of years and a ten-year 200% tourism boom has seen it climb to the world’s fifth most visited city, with 11.6 million visitors annually. Istanbul will offer a suitably cinematic backdrop to moments of Olympic history with a Games activated across the entire city, the stunning Bosphorus strait at its heart. In this way, Istanbul 2020’s world-class technical offering will be delivered with a unique flavour of Istanbul. 

A Profound Legacy Impact

Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time ever will be the defining achievement in the Turkish Republic’s 100-year history, driving profound positive change through the unique power of the Games.

• Ten new and five significantly upgraded sports venues that will serve the nation and the Olympic Movement as regional hubs of sporting excellence.

• Greater provision for elite Olympic and Paralympic sport in Turkey than ever before and a new body of state-of-the-art venues in the sports world’s inventory.

• A dramatic increase in mass sport participation with community facilities that reinvigorate grass roots sport.

• A nation empowered to realise its enormous sporting potential and translate the population’s passion into long-term success.

• Fresh opportunities for the region’s young people in an environment where innovation and young entrepreneurism can thrive: a generation of connected global citizens and young leaders in sport, business, the media and politics.

• An enhanced global status as a must-see tourist destination, a flourishing international business centre, and, increasingly, a world-class sports hub.

• Fully modernised, fully accessible transport and tourism infrastructure; a more liveable, better connected city for generations of citizens and visitors.

• A totally regenerated Haydarpa?a Port area, including 625 hectares of reclaimed green space.

• A global audience captivated, an Olympic brand fully energised and the ultimate ROI for broadcasters and sponsors through an unprecedented wealth of cinematic moments.

• The start of a new chapter in the story of one of the oldest civilisations in the world.

• A world inspired by a celebration of unity in diversity; a more harmonious international community.

Hasan Arat, leader of the Istanbul 2020 Bid Committee:

“This is a new bid for a new Turkey. We are ready to offer the IOC a rare combination: tried and tested delivery structures, but in a fresh market rich in potential. We have developed a technical solution that will meet the very highest standards of the Olympic Movement and placed it against a backdrop that no city in the world can match, and we are delighted to be sharing it with the Olympic family. This is our fifth bid and it has arrived at the perfect moment for Istanbul, for Turkey and, we believe, for the Olympic Movement. Now is the time for Istanbul 2020.”

Ugur Erdener, IOC member and President of the Turkish NOC:

“First and foremost, our focus has been on delivering conditions that can help Olympians and Paralympians reach their full potential. This Candidature File defines a compact, convenient and compelling technical concept that will guarantee athletes the best possible chance for personal best performances. We would like to thank the IOC for their invaluable feedback so far, and for the opportunity to share our vision for the most important sporting event in the world. This time, Istanbul is ready to create the perfect stage for the greatest show on Earth.” 

Notes to Editors:

For more information, please contact the Istanbul 2020 media team: 

media@istanbul2020.com.tr

Alternatively, find us online at www.istanbul2020.com.tr 

on Twitter: @2020_istanbul 

or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Istanbul2020

BT to feature UK athletes on phone books

British Telecom’s (BT) new phone books will feature some of the UK’s leading athletes on the cover to celebrate two years until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The first books are set to be distributed next week and feature BT Ambassador Ade Adepitan, who won a bronze medal as part of the wheelchair basketball team at the 2004 Paralympic Games.

Other athletes to feature on the phone books are Chris Tomlinson (World Indoor long-jump silver medalist), Lee Pearson (nine-times Paralympic equestrian gold medalist), Dame Mary Peters (Olympic gold medalist in pentathlon) and Alistair Brownlee (World Triathlon champion).

Adepitan said: “featuring sporting personalities on the cover of the phone book is a great idea and will help raise the profile of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK. I’m proud to be the face of the phone book, and my mum is looking forward to receiving her new London phone book with me on the front cover!”

CEO of BT Directories, David Grossman, added: “The phone book is still very much the quickest way to locate a friend, and essential service or a local business and gracing it with inspiring sporting personalities celebrates BT’s involvement with the London 2012 Games.

“We hope everyone gets behind the athlete that features on the front cover of their own phone book – it would be great if these inspires young hopefuls in the world of sport.”

BAMMA Ink New Broadcast Deal with Celestial Tiger Entertainment

Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, have announced a new television broadcast deal with Asia’s premier action entertainment channel KIX, operated by Celestial Tiger Entertainment.

The deal will see BAMMA events now broadcast across Asia on KIX and KIX HD in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines.

BAMMA’s Director, Ashley Bothwell said: “We’re really pleased to be able to confirm our deal with Celestial Tiger Entertainment. KIX is a perfect platform for BAMMA in Asia and our events will sit well amongst the channel’s core programming of combat sports, action reality and series, and action movies. We are excited about the extended audience that BAMMA shows will now reach across parts of Asia, and we look forward to working with Celestial Tiger Entertainment and KIX over 2014.”

Three Candidates in Shortlist for Badminton World Federation Presidency

Badminton World Federation (BWF) have announced three candidates are vying to become the next President while two people are standing for the post of Deputy President.

When nominations closed last Friday, story Dato Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh (Malaysia), Dr. Justian Suhandinata (Indonesia) and Poul-Erik Hoyer (Denmark) were the nominees (listed in order of nomination dates) for the world-governing organisation’s top post for the next four years.

Nadzmi, who heads the Badminton Association of Malaysia, was put forward by his national organisation. Suhandinata, a BWF Council member, was nominated by the All Indonesia Badminton Association. Hoyer – the President of Badminton Europe – has been nominated by Badminton Denmark.

Meanwhile, current BWF Deputy President, Paisan Rangsikitpho of the USA, is seeking re-election to that post. He will be opposed by Gustavo Salazar Delgado of Peru who is a BWF Council member and the President of Badminton Pan Am.

Last November, outgoing BWF President Dr. Kang Young Joong of South Korea announced his decision not to seek a third term in office, saying “the time is right for transition now that BWF is in a stable position and on a positive path with good long-term strategies in place”.

BWF Council elections will be held at the annual general meeting on Saturday 18 May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In total, 20 of 26 Council positions will be selected, with the Chair of the BWF Athletes’ Commission and the five continental confederations’ Vice-Presidents having previously been chosen. Additionally, Paul Kurzo has been nominated unopposed as Vice President – Para-Badminton; a post which he currently holds.

Apart from Kurzo and the nominees for President and Deputy President, 30 other persons are running for 17 places as BWF Council members.

ValueBond Launched to Generate Revenue from Digital Media in Sport

A brand new advertising medium is being launched this month which has the potential to fundamentally change the advertising model in sport. Using smartphone technology very small areas of advertising collateral can be leverage 100’s of times over to provide major revenue streams. Not only does this media increase revenue but build a major behavioural database of advertising viewers which provides the very first totally accountable method of advertising.

The ValueBond channel, impotent as it’s known, is the brain child of serial Entrepreneur Gareth Llewelyn and has been developed from trials in the Pharmaceutical industry. Llewelyn states ‘ We are using technology that has only really merged and matured in the past 2-3 years to massively leverage the digital content  on advertising space and provide engaging and sticky campaigns for consumers.’

The ValueBond technology can be applied across many sectors including ticketing, retail, FMCG, Banking, Sport and Publishing. For example wrist bands or tickets carrying the ValueBond barcode can be scanned by a consumer’s smartphones to produce multiple campaigns pre-,  in-, and post-  event and even carry on being active many months or years after the event. Llewelyn says ‘ValueBond gives marketers a new way to engage with event goers by enhancing their experience dynamically in real time.’

There is a large data collection element to ValueBond as each interaction with the barcode leaves a rich data audit trail which marketers can use for post campaign analysis. ValueBond also incorporates a charity element, if required, so each scan of the barcode can trigger a donation from the campaign sponsor to a designated charity. This component is optional but has proved popular in sporting circles.

ValueBond is being trialled in various vertical markets and is set to be implemented in several venues in the New Year. For more information contact Gareth.llewelyn@valuebond.co.uk.

GB women’s volleyball team aims to beat Olympic funding cuts

The Great Britain women’s volleyball team has undertaken a 272-mile bike ride to raise the £250,000 (US$387,000) necessary to allow them to compete in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Funding cuts have meant the team may have to cancel training programmes, harming their chances of being competitive at the 2012 Games.

The team is due to finish the ride in London on Tuesday, two years exactly until the opening ceremony for the Games.

Coach Audrey Cooper said: “It’s no surprise to me the girls are doing this, knowing their determination and energy. They are not prepared to turn up at London 2012 under-prepared. They want to be as good as they can be at our home Olympics to make the country proud.

“We started from nothing in 2007 and we’ve improved out of sight since then. We are simply not prepared to give up now.”

Volleyball was one of eight Olympic sports to have had London 2012 funding slashed in January because of a £50 million (US$77.5 million) budget shortfall.