FIVB President Graça reveals new LED net ready for competition and predicts explosion in volleyball post-Rio 2016

FIVB President Ary S. Graça believes innovations such as the LED net will help develop volleyball ©ITG

International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) President Ary S. Graça has predicted the world will be in for a big surprise when their LED net is unveiled later this year before use at next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Graça was speaking at the conclusion of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships here yesterday, where he was full of praise for the organisation of the tournament, which was held in four different cities for the first time in its 18-year history.

Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, Rotterdam and The Hague hosted men's and women's matches throughout the tournament with the finals being held in the floating 5,500-capacity Hofvijver Stadium in The Hague.

With beach volleyball still a relatively young Olympic sport, having only made its debut at Atlanta 1996, the 72-year-old believes that innovations such as multiple host cities and their LED net will help to continue to boost the appeal of the sport and help its growth.

The LED net is designed to allow for the possibility of showing a variety of different in-game information or advertisements, and although Graça admits there a were several problems involved with the prototype, the net is now on the verge of being used in competition as they build towards Rio 2016.

International Volleyball Federation President Ary S. Graça claims their will be an explosion of interest into beach volleyball and volleyball post-Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

"We are trying to do something different, like we have with the four cities and also the LED net," he told insidethegames.

"The LED net will be a big surprise for the whole world and it took us almost one whole year to develop because there lots of problems, like the net being too heavy.

"Now it is ready, we have tested it and we are going to have a test in Portugal and probably in the underage World Championships.

"Then we are going to use it in Brazil, it is going to be a big surprise for everyone."

Building up to Rio 2016 in volleyball-mad Brazil, Graça is confident the innovations will help to generate even greater interest in both beach volleyball and volleyball.

Graça, elected to his current position in September 2012, having previously held the post of President of the Brazilian Volleyball Federation from 1997 to 2013, also pointed to the party-like atmosphere at the World Championships as a key reason why the sport will be a success at before and after Rio 2016.

"Volleyball is the sport of the family, no contact, no fighting, no struggle," he claimed.

“Everybody can play volleyball and people are happy it is a party.

"After the Games there is going to be an explosion in volleyball and beach volleyball."