Wei Jizhong
What do you think about the Asian Senior Women’s Championship in Thailand?
“It was a great success in terms of the record number (16) of teams that took part. The TV coverage and the number of spectators at Chatchai Hall were amazing. The venue was full to its capacity every day. But the story is not complete without the Thai team. There is no doubt that Thailand have made a big improvement. They beat Japan and defending champions China to become the new Asian winners. I learned from the teams that they were very happy about the conditions. There is a general satisfaction all round.”
You chaired the Control Committee in charge of the tournament. Were there any problems?
“You take any tournament and you will find a problem. However, if that problem can be overcome, that means no problem. I’m always optimistic. Thailand really made the tournament a memorable one and a success.”
Do you think the referees performed well?
“The tournament had uniformly good referees since it is a high-level championship. Every participating team brought their own referees. At the same time, we [the AVC] appointed some highly experienced referees for the tournament. It’s very difficult to say whether every referee from each participating team was of similar standard. I think there is scope for improvement. We have to get all referees to a similar standard no matter where they come from.”
What did you think about Thailand’s victory?
“Thailand played exceptionally well. This is not the first time they have beaten China. They beat them in the 2009 final and repeated that feat in the 2012 AVC Cup final. This is the third time that they have conquered China. Thailand were quick in their attacks. The Chinese players were tall but very slow. But I never thought Thailand were certain to win the match – I gave them a 50-50 chance. However, they proved me wrong and they fully deserve the victory.”
What do you think about the standard of Asian teams?
“I think China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Kazakhstan are world class, but we have to work hard to raise the Asian men’s sides to the world level.”
After the great success of the Asian Championship, do you think Thailand is ready to host either the World Championship for Seniors or the World Grand Prix Finals?
“I would like to praise the Thailand Volleyball Association for accepting all requests from the FIVB and AVC to host volleyball tournaments. However, the World Championship is different. The demands from sponsors and the TV coverage are high. It is also expensive to host such a tournament. In my opinion, Thailand can host a successful world junior or youth championship, but they have to think twice if they want to host the World Championship for Seniors. I know they can be good hosts, but intention alone is not enough. They have to learn about their financial support. A large sum of at least US$50 million is required for a country to host the World Championship for Seniors or the World Grand Prix Finals. A rich country with a big economy can host this world meet. Japan, for example, can fulfil the target of hosting a world championship. They set up an effective long-term project on ticket sales, while sponsors there are ready to throw in their full support to stage a tournament of such scale. The TV coverage in Japan is also excellent and spectators fill the venues to capacity.”
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