Novara
Miljković used the showpiece as an opportunity to engage stakeholders at a top club event and continue making fruitful discussions for volleyball development.
“The finals in Berlin were an ideal opportunity to meet volleyball stakeholders and continue our discussions for developing the future of the game,” Miljković said.
Such stakeholders included former volleyball players, team managers and club presidents alongside national federation representatives.
“The discussions regarding the ACPV’s mission and vision continued and it was encouraging that stakeholders were keen to get more information,” Miljković said.
“As priority topics of discussion, good governance, transparency and recognition of sporting achievements were all brought to the fore in Berlin.”
CEV’S SUPER FINALS ORGANIZATION
Miljković also heaped praise on the CEV’s effective organization of this year’s showpiece event, before thanking the European Volleyball governing body for extending an invitation to attend.
“It was superbly organized by the CEV,” Miljković said. “The event was a reflection of exactly where we are in European Volleyball right now, with Italian clubs dominating both the men’s and women’s brackets”.
“I extend my thanks to the CEV for giving the ACPV the opportunity to contribute to the Super Finals in Berlin. It is pleasing that the winner, Igor Gorgonzola Novara, is also involved with the ACPV through the Italian Women’s League. ACPV Board Members and the CEV presidency had the chance to then exchange ideas with Mr. Fabris and Mr. Rebaudengo who were also present”.
The first-ever finals organized at one designated venue for both, the women’s and men’s competition of the CEV Volleyball Champions League, also gave Miljković food for thought.
“The way the event was organized gave some useful insight into the idea, management, and execution behind such a one-day event,” he explained.
“Many tennis, handball, and basketball events have been held in the same way. We can compare the execution of this event with how it is done in other sports to understand further where we can improve. It is equally important that we compare the atmosphere of the event compared to finals in other sports.”
The statistics behind the latter stages of CEV International tournaments also makes for interesting reading for the ACPV’s targets. In the last fifteen years, the major competitions have seen the same teams from three countries qualifying, with sporadic appearances from other clubs. The ACPV is considering a redistribution of profits made from tournaments to all participating clubs as a means of creating a level playing field. Now, the need for this reform can be seen in statistical evidence, which will only help potentially implement these changes in future.
“What we are seeing and have seen is solid evidence that reform in the distribution of profits is needed to ensure a more equal competition, and this was a matter discussed in Berlin,” Miljković said.
A MEETING BETWEEN STAV JACOBI AND DR. GRACA F°
ACPV president, Stav Jacobi, also held a series of meeting with the game’s influential figures, including Dr. Ary Graça F°, reigning president of the FIVB, Miljković revealed.
“Mr. Stav Jacobi and Dr. Ary Graça F° discussed many aspects, including the future of management, organization, and especially the 11 FIVB Goals to be accomplished by the end of Dr. Ary Graça F° term of election,” Miljković said.
“The communication and exchange of ideas will bring additional value to our sport and can only be positive.”
The Berlin talks and the meeting with the FIVB are just two matters that were on the agenda over Spring 2019, with further meetings set to take place with club representatives of the Polish and Italian Leagues.
“The plan for the talks with our friends from Poland and Italy is to present to them the vision and the proposed activities of the ACPV,” Miljković explained.
“The more clubs come on board and embrace our vision, the more our network grows. This can only be positive in helping make the changes in volleyball that we all want to see.”
Notable talks that will be hosted in the near future include meeting legal representatives in volleyball across Europe and the world, in order to help develop the ACPV’s plans for the near future.
“Together with the ACPV Legal representative and other legal bodies in the sport around the world, we will develop plans to support the mission, vision, and targets of the ACPV for the near future,” Miljković said, with regards to these planned talks.
“The ACPV members believe that the potential of volleyball clubs can grow and the ACPV is showing that it is willing to take an active part in doing this by discussing this formally.”
Marketing and promotion of the game are another two of the ACPV’s key targets, and much of this will be focused on the younger generation. A volleyball tournament organized by the ACPV for junior level players, mainly children, has been proposed, which will see teams from across Europe, competing against each other.
The teams will comprise of both ACPV members and non-members, with Miljković viewing the opportunity as an effective way of promoting fair play and values in volleyball.
“Getting younger generations involved in volleyball and educating them can only be positive in terms of promoting good values in the sport and securing the future of our game,” Miljković said.
