Held on July 23 at AsiaWorld-Expo, the conference brought together participants from 39 countries and regions across all five continents, with 26 speakers and presenters addressing some of the main medical challenges facing modern fencing. The event was aligned with the FIE Strategic Plan 2025-2028 and the objectives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical and Scientific Commission, placing issues far beyond injury prevention on the agenda, including training load, recovery, mental health, well-being and the need for scientific tools to support athletes throughout the different stages of their careers.

The fencer’s health as part of athletic performance

The conference opened with fencing leaders and international sports medicine specialists, including Abdelmoneim ElHusseiny, FIE Interim President; Gulnora Saidova, Secretary General; Dr. Antonio Fiore, Chair of the FIE Medical Commission; Alexander NW Yeung, President of the Hong Kong, China Fencing Association; and Dr. Margo Mountjoy, Chair of the ASOIF Medical and Scientific Commission. The discussions highlighted an idea that is increasingly central to high-performance sport: protecting athletes does not simply mean treating an injury when it occurs, but understanding the conditions that can affect their health before a problem becomes a barrier to competition.

Saidova described the conference as a milestone for the fencing community and emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing among professionals. Dr. Mountjoy, meanwhile, highlighted that the mission of developing fencing worldwide depends directly on the health, safety and well-being of those who practice the sport. That perspective was also present in the keynote presentations by Dr. Hosam El-Sherbiny and Dr. Anna Tomori. The former presented the FIE Medical Commission’s strategic planning for 2025-2028, structured around seven pillars aimed at making sports medicine a strategic component of the discipline, while Tomori focused on the need to integrate medical examinations and athlete protection into development pathways.

Dr. Tomori’s presentation offered a particularly clear view of the challenges that can remain hidden behind traditional performance indicators. Her research on young fencers in Japan showed that, despite training for an average of more than 14 hours per week and apparently getting sufficient rest, nearly 60% had a history of sports injuries. More than 10% reported training with active pain without receiving medical attention, while almost one-third experienced symptoms of autonomic stress, including severe morning fatigue and orthostatic dizziness. The data highlight an important tension: an athlete can continue training and competing while their body sends signals that are not necessarily reflected in a performance, result or sporting statistic.

Science, prevention and new tools for fencing

Based on these concerns, the conference organized its content around three main areas: injury prevention, biomechanics and load management; performance optimization, recovery and well-being; and athlete safety alongside multidisciplinary collaboration. The goal was to examine fencing from different scientific perspectives, taking into account both the physical demands of bouts and the factors that can influence recovery and athletic continuity. Digital posters also provided additional space for sharing research, clinical observations and sports medicine initiatives related to the discipline.

One of the projects presented by Dr. El-Sherbiny was the launch of the FIE Injury Surveillance System (FISS), together with the development of a digital medical platform looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Other initiatives include expanding medical training and certification worldwide, strengthening research collaborations and establishing new working groups focused on areas such as women’s physical and mental health. The aim is to build a structure capable of collecting information, identifying needs and providing tools that allow medical and sporting decisions to be made on a stronger scientific basis.

The academic dimension also had a clear presence during the event. The FIE signed a Letter of Intent with the University of Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom, to promote joint research related to sports medicine applied to fencing, athlete health and performance science. Led strategically by Dr. El-Sherbiny on behalf of the FIE Medical Commission, the collaboration seeks to strengthen scientific oversight, governance and connections between academic and clinical networks. At the same time, the conference brought together professionals from 39 countries and regions, creating a space where experiences from different sporting environments could come together around common challenges in a discipline that demands speed, precision, power and a high capacity for recovery.

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The second edition already reflects the growth of the initiative. With registration open until August 31, the championship has received 110 entries from 34 nations, representing more than 170 competitors. Several fleets have already reached the minimum number of participants required to award world championship titles, while new disciplines continue to generate interest. Hansa 303, RS Venture Connect, 2.4mR and Vision Impairment Fleet Racing will return alongside emerging classes such as Para Inclusive WingFoil and Challenger Trimaran, in an event that also incorporates development programs and new opportunities to expand international participation.

A championship bringing together different ways of experiencing sailing

World Sailing’s approach seeks to ensure that inclusion is not limited to having different categories of athletes competing at the same event. The championship was designed as a platform where sailors with different disabilities can share the same sporting environment, regardless of the boat they use or the stage of development they have reached. This coexistence allows the competition to become a meeting point for learning from different experiences and demonstrating that para sailing can be built around a much broader diversity of disciplines, abilities and sporting journeys.

That diversity is also reflected in the growth of the classes. The Challenger Trimaran is one of the clearest examples: the fleet has already surpassed the minimum number of participants required to be recognized as a championship and is attracting interest from countries such as South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago. Alongside it, Para Inclusive WingFoil, a more recent initiative, continues to attract international attention, while seated WingFoiling will be presented as a demonstration event. The discipline will offer an opportunity to see how a relatively new format can create space for sailors with disabilities and how innovation can expand the possibilities within the sport.

International development to open new opportunities

The championship will also provide a platform for the Inclusive Development Programme (IDP) of World Sailing, which will once again welcome sailors, coaches and officials from emerging nations. Through training, classification education and knowledge sharing, the program seeks to ensure that international participation does not depend solely on a nation’s immediate ability to send athletes to a competition. The goal is to build the tools and expertise needed to develop local structures and create sustainable pathways toward high-level competition in para sailing.

Along the same lines, the partnership with the America’s Cup continues to provide funding for eligible emerging nations. The support aims to reduce some of the barriers that can prevent new participants from reaching the international stage and gradually expand the competitive community. For Hannah Stodel, Para World Sailing Director, the growth of the second edition — with new nations, classes and opportunities — reflects the idea behind the championship from the beginning: not simply to create another regatta, but a space where athletes, coaches, officials, classifiers and volunteers can come together and help shape the future of inclusive sailing.

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The competition will also feature several major storylines. In the women’s tournament, the Netherlands will defend their home title, having won the World Cup nine times, and will once again face Argentina, a team that has spent years pursuing the same goal. In the men’s tournament, Germany arrive as reigning world champions, while the Netherlands and Belgium are among the leading contenders for the title. Argentina will look to regain prominence after finishing ninth at the last World Cup, while Spain will seek to build on its recent progress and challenge for the medals, both with the ‘RedSticks’ and its women’s team.

A new format changes the path to the semifinals

The first phase of the World Cup will take place from August 15 to 20, with four groups of four teams in each category. From August 21, a second group stage will bring together the best-placed teams from the opening round. The top two teams from each of those groups will advance directly to the semifinals, a change that eliminates the quarterfinals and makes every match in the first and second phases particularly important in the standings. The system also introduces a specific rule for teams that meet again after having shared a group: if two teams come from the same initial group, they will carry over the result of their head-to-head match.

The schedule will take the competition toward its decisive weekend at the end of August. The women’s semifinals will be played on Thursday, August 27, while the men’s semifinals will take place on Friday, August 28, alongside classification matches. Saturday, August 29, will feature the women’s bronze-medal match and final, while the men’s medals will be decided on Sunday, August 30. At the same time, matches for ninth through 16th place will be played from August 21 to 24, meaning both venues will remain active as the leading contenders begin to shape their paths toward the titles.

The stars and teams chasing the world title

In the men’s competition, Belgium arrive as the world’s No. 1 team after winning the 2025-2026 FIH Pro League. One of their key players is Tom Boon: at 36, the forward was named FIH Player of the Year in 2025 and scored 19 goals in 13 matches during the latest Pro League season. Alongside him will be Alexander Hendrickx, one of international hockey’s most renowned drag-flick specialists. The Netherlands, reigning Olympic champions and second in the world rankings, will seek to reclaim a World Cup title they have not won since 1998, while England, ranked third in the world, also appear capable of challenging the leading favorites. Argentina will have Tomás Domene, the top scorer in the latest FIH Pro League with 21 goals, among their main weapons. Spain, meanwhile, arrive after winning bronze at the 2025 European Championship and will look to improve on their sixth-place finish at the last World Cup.

The women’s competition presents a scenario dominated by the Netherlands. Five-time Olympic champions, they lead the world rankings by a wide margin and arrive after winning the FIH Pro League for the fourth consecutive time. Xan de Waard, named FIH Player of the Year in 2025, and Yibbi Jansen, the top scorer in the latest Pro League, headline a generation accustomed to competing in finals. Argentina will once again be one of their biggest rivals: ‘Las Leonas’ are ranked second in the world and feature Majo Granatto, a two-time Olympic medalist and Player of the Match at the last World Cup, as well as Agustina Gorzelany, the second-highest scorer of the Pro League season. Belgium and the People’s Republic of China, who pushed the Netherlands to a shoot-out in the Paris 2024 final, complete the group of leading contenders, while Spain, bronze medalists at the 2025 European Championship, will aim to return to the World Cup podium eight years after their last appearance, and Scotland will compete at a World Cup for the first time in 24 years.

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The report also highlights a network that extends beyond direct beneficiaries. In 2025, more than 830 changemakers received support from the FIBA Foundation, while resources were provided to 608 community projects, and Basketball For Good began to be integrated across the organisation’s major continental competitions. The combination of high-level sporting events and community activities brought these initiatives into new spaces, involving young leaders who used basketball to develop responses to shared challenges within their own communities.

A global network using basketball to drive change

The reach of Basketball For Good is built around initiatives that seek to ensure that the impact of sport extends beyond the court. Its presence in 127 countries and five continents reflects the diversity of contexts in which these projects are implemented, from local communities to settings connected to major international competitions. Within this ecosystem, young people and community leaders play a central role, as they not only participate in activities but can also become agents capable of replicating and extending the tools they acquire to others in their communities.

During 2025, this connection between basketball and social participation took on a particular dimension with the introduction of Basketball For Good activities at all FIBA continental competitions. The work also continued at various youth EuroBaskets and the FIBA U16 Women’s Asia Cup, where youth leaders promoted activities aimed at strengthening community participation. In line with the International Youth Day theme, “Different contexts, common aspirations”, young people from different regions worked on similar challenges and used sport as a tool to create solutions adapted to their own realities.

Community projects expanding impact beyond the court

Among the initiatives reflecting this expansion is Propose A Project, Basketball For Good’s flagship platform, which reached a record 73 projects from 58 countries in 2025. The growth of this community was also evident during World Basketball Day, when 43 Basketball For Good festivals were organised across 33 countries, bringing together more than 5,700 people. The activities brought the spirit of the sport beyond competitions and into local courts and community centres, creating spaces for people of different ages, backgrounds and experiences to come together.

This work is part of a broader vision of the FIBA Foundation, which seeks to use basketball to empower, educate and inspire young people, while strengthening the networks that exist within each community. Supporting changemakers and local projects means that the impact does not depend exclusively on the staging of a sporting event, but can instead develop through initiatives driven from within the communities themselves. In this sense, the programme combines the resources of an international sports organisation with the knowledge and capacity for action of those working directly within their communities.

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The decision follows the International Olympic Committee -IOC- provisionally lifting the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee -ROC- on 7 July and declaring that its 2022 and 2023 recommendations concerning Russian participation were no longer applicable. The IOC justified the change after concluding that the ROC no longer included regional sports organisations from territories under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and had confirmed that it would not operate in those territories. International federations, however, retain the authority to decide on access to their competitions, the use of national symbols and the organisation of events in Russia. The IOC itself has yet to determine whether the Russian flag, anthem and colours will be permitted at the Olympic Games. The result is an international landscape without a common position: some federations have chosen full reintegration, others have adopted partial or event-by-event approaches, while several continue to enforce exclusions.

The end of neutral status in DanceSport

The WDSF has fully repealed the policy governing the participation of Russian athletes, support personnel and officials. The dedicated screening procedures, individual declarations and restrictions created under the neutrality framework therefore cease to apply. Entry and eligibility will now be determined by the federation’s statutes, competition rules, licensing requirements, disciplinary provisions and general anti-doping obligations.

The removal of this framework does not eliminate every differentiated control. The WDSF has approved specific anti-doping standards for athletes holding a Russian passport or sporting nationality, including mandatory criteria for their inclusion in testing pools at competitions, enhanced measures and independent supervision at events staged in Russian territory. The programme will be implemented alongside the International Testing Agency -ITA- and continuously reviewed in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency -WADA-.

Different levels of reintegration in handball, boxing and curling

The International Handball Federation -IHF- approved the full reintegration of Russian and Belarusian teams, officials, referees, lecturers and experts on 15 July, without additional eligibility checks. The federation had begun in March with a limited return through youth friendly matches and now only anticipates an operational transition period. World Boxing also accepted on 30 July that Russian athletes would compete in the same way as representatives of any other national federation, ending the AIN system introduced in April, which had prohibited national flags, anthems and uniforms and required individual screening. It will nevertheless continue to monitor the conduct of Russian delegations and their compliance with anti-doping rules. The Russian Boxing Federation currently retains endorsed member status, allowing it to compete but not vote, and its admission as a full member must be ratified by Congress in Panama on 20 November.

World Curling has taken a more limited approach. Since January, it has allowed Russian and Belarusian junior athletes to return, following the IOC’s earlier recommendation for youth categories, but has not announced an equivalent readmission for adults. A Russian pair entered the World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in May but was unable to travel to Canada because of delays in obtaining visas. The disagreement has also entered the legal arena: the federation’s June minutes stated that submissions for proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport were being finalised, while a related case before the Swiss courts had been adjourned until the sports tribunal determined whether it had jurisdiction.

Ice hockey and athletics maintain restrictions

The International Ice Hockey Federation -IIHF- has chosen to assess each championship separately. Its Disciplinary Board annulled the general decision excluding Russia from the entire 2026-2027 season in May, but clarified that the ruling did not automatically reinstate the country and returned the matter to the Council for a new assessment. On 30 July, the IIHF kept Russia out of the 2027 Men’s World Championship, World Junior Championship and both Under-18 World Championships, citing safety, security, operational feasibility and sporting integrity. Russia’s possible participation in the Women’s World Championship will be reviewed in November. The IIHF has allowed Belarus to enter selected youth and lower-division championships but continues to exclude it from the 2027 Men’s World Championship and World Junior Championship.

World Athletics continues to enforce one of the most restrictive positions. Its Council reaffirmed on 3 July the exclusion of athletes, officials and support personnel from Russia and Belarus, including under neutral status. This measure is separate from the former institutional doping suspension imposed on Russian Athletics, which was lifted in 2023, and remains linked to the war. The Russian federation filed a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport -CAS- on 9 July challenging the exclusion of its athletes. On 10 August, it lodged a separate claim against restrictions preventing it from participating fully in meetings, votes, technical conferences and international development programmes. World Athletics has stated that it will defend both measures before the tribunal.

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The two developments represent different forms of growth. The new championship adds a format developed over more than a decade to the international calendar, while the commercial agreement brings the backing of one of India’s largest business groups. JSW was already a global partner of the men’s World Cup held in Odisha in 2023, through a collaboration linked to that tournament. It now becomes an FIH Global Partner under a multi-year agreement beginning with the 2026 World Cup.

A World Cup after 14 years of development

The Para Hockey World Cup will bring together 16 national teams from four continents, divided into two pools and made up of athletes with intellectual disabilities. The mixed-gender teams will compete in a six-a-side format, a smaller version of traditional hockey. The tournament is the result of a 14-year development process supported by national associations, clubs, coaches, families and volunteers. According to the FIH’s latest participation survey, more than 30 national associations had introduced Para Hockey programmes before the creation of its first World Cup.

Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Pakistan, Zambia, Ireland and the USA will compete in Pool A, while the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, England, India, Malaysia, Chile and Argentina make up Pool B. Ireland received a late invitation following Paraguay’s withdrawal. Matches will be played until 23 August at Myra Hockey Club in Amstelveen and Louvain-la-Neuve Hockey Club, before the final day moves to the Wagener Stadium and the Belfius Hockey Arena, the same venues being used for the men’s and women’s World Cup. “This tournament is about much more than medals. It is about inspiring people, challenging perceptions and showing what is possible when every athlete is given the opportunity to compete, excel and inspire,” said FIH President Tayyab Ikram.

From World Cup sponsor to global partner

The new contract makes JSW an FIH Global Partner for several years and covers some of the sport’s most prestigious international events. The joint World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands will be the first major event under the agreement, although neither party has disclosed its exact duration, financial value or the other competitions it will support. Its scope is therefore broader than the 2023 sponsorship, when JSW was presented only as a global partner of the men’s World Cup held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

The group’s involvement in hockey is not limited to those two World Cups. Its sports division owns Soorma Hockey Club, which has men’s and women’s teams in the Hockey India League. In their first season, the men finished third and the women were runners-up. JSW Foundation also entered into a partnership with the Asian Hockey Federation -AHF- in 2023 to increase women’s participation as players, umpires, technical officials and administrators in India and other Asian countries. The new FIH agreement takes that presence from domestic and continental hockey into a more stable international partnership.

A $25 billion conglomerate

JSW Group currently reports revenue of $25 billion, employs more than 37,000 people and operates across more than ten sectors. Its activities include steel, energy, cement, infrastructure, automotive manufacturing, paints, defence and venture capital, with a presence in India, the USA, South America, Europe and Africa. Its size and diversification illustrate the financial capacity and international reach of the FIH’s new partner, although the value of the agreement has not been disclosed.

Established in 2012, JSW Sports has built a portfolio spanning professional and Olympic sport. It owns football club Bengaluru FC, Pro Kabaddi League side Haryana Steelers, cricket franchise Pretoria Capitals and Soorma Hockey Club. It also shares ownership of the Delhi Capitals men’s and women’s teams equally with GMR Sports, competing in the Indian Premier League and Women’s Premier League respectively. The Inspire Institute of Sport forms part of its structure, while its Sports Excellence Programme has supported athletes including Neeraj Chopra and Sakshi Malik. Through JSW Inspire, the group has also provided apparel for the Indian delegation at Birmingham 2022, the Hangzhou Asian Games and Paris 2024. The FIH is therefore adding a partner with financial strength, experience in major competitions, club management and high-performance programmes, while opening its leading global event to athletes who previously had no world title to compete for.

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The decision confirms that international federations continue to respond differently to the changing IOC position. In July, the organisation provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and declared that its previous recommendations regarding the participation of Russian athletes were no longer applicable. However, each international federation retains authority over eligibility in its competitions. Some have begun a complete reintegration, others have maintained their exclusions, and World Curling has drawn a distinction between junior and adult events.

An exclusion extended since 2022

World Curling excluded Russia and Belarus from its competitions in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In September of that year, the Board maintained the measure until 31 December under Rule C1(b), which allows it to remove a team or member association if it considers that their presence could damage an event, endanger participants or disrupt its proper conduct. The Russian teams that had qualified for the European Championships were replaced by the next eligible nations.

The ban was subsequently extended until the end of the 2022-2023 season, then through the 2023-2024 campaign and later until the conclusion of 2024-2025. During each review, the federation referred to concerns raised by its members and the potential effect of Russian and Belarusian participation on the integrity, safety and orderly conduct of its championships. The policy began to change in January 2026, when World Curling authorised junior athletes from both countries to return to international competition in response to the IOC recommendation that young athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of their governments.

An opening limited to junior competition

Russia’s first participation following that change was due to take place at the World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Edmonton in May. However, delays in the visa application process prevented the pair from travelling to Canada. The team was recorded as having not started, with its scheduled games forfeited. Its absence was therefore not caused by a new sporting ban, but by its inability to complete the entry process in time.

The opening granted to Russian junior athletes has not been extended to adult competitions. World Curling said its Board was “strongly convinced” that their reintroduction would present “significant challenges to the integrity of the competitions” and that changing its current position was therefore not viable. The federation also underlined its obligation to ensure that its events take place in a safe and fair environment. The latest statement refers exclusively to Russia and does not announce any decision concerning the current eligibility of Belarusian adult athletes.

A different approach from each federation

The Russian Curling Federation has challenged its exclusion before the Court of Arbitration for Sport -CAS-, with a ruling expected shortly. World Curling will have to respond to the tribunal’s decision while it continues with a policy that combines the readmission of Russian junior athletes with their complete exclusion from adult competitions, without providing a neutral route to participation.

The approach once again highlights the absence of a common position across international sport. World Boxing has restored Russia’s participation with its flag, anthem and national symbols, while the International Ice Hockey Federation -IIHF- has excluded Russian and Belarusian teams from the 2026-2027 season and will only consider a possible return for under-18 teams in the following campaign. World Curling sits between those positions: it has begun reintegrating Russian athletes at junior level but does not believe the conditions yet exist to extend that process to adult competitions. The IOC’s new direction has opened the possibility of a return, but its implementation still depends on how each federation assesses safety, the integrity of its competitions and the international situation.

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The initiative includes courses that will take place over the coming months in the Dominican Republic, Peru and Mexico, with coaches from different parts of the Americas taking part. Experts from the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB), a DOSB member, will deliver the courses, with one key distinction: there will be no one-size-fits-all approach for every country. Each programme has been designed according to the needs of the host association, from creating regional structures and reaching areas with fewer resources to preparing new coaches capable of bringing table tennis into schools.

Dominican Republic, Peru and Mexico with different objectives

In the Dominican Republic, the initiative will be linked to the upcoming opening of the ITTF Americas Continental Development Centre, scheduled for later this year. A series of DOSB courses will be held there and will be open not only to Dominican coaches but also to representatives from other member associations in the region. The programme will also receive additional financial support from the ITTF Development Programme 2026, reinforcing a structure designed to allow knowledge to reach beyond the host country’s borders and contribute to building a regional coaching base.

The Peruvian case presents a different need. The courses will focus on decentralising sports coaching and will bring together 20 selected coaches from remote areas of the country. The programme will coincide with the Peruvian national competitions taking place later this year, creating an opportunity to combine education with competitive activity. The intention is for these coaches to later take the knowledge they acquire back to their respective regions, bringing coaching resources to areas where access is more limited.

A focus on the next generations of table tennis

In Mexico, the focus will be on the connection between sport and the education system. The DOSB courses will support one of the main ambitions of the Mexican Table Tennis Federation: incorporating the sport into school programmes. To achieve this, young local coaches will take part in the programme with the aim of developing a generation capable of introducing table tennis to children and young people across different parts of the country, expanding opportunities to discover the sport from an early age.

The international dimension of the partnership is also explained by the DOSB’s experience. As the governing body for sport in Germany, it represents 103 member organisations and around 29.3 million people across more than 86,000 clubs. It also has a long history of cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office on projects related to international sports development. For its president, Thomas Weikert, working with coaches represents an investment in athletes, young people and the future of sport, while for ITTF President Petra Sörling, the agreement turns the organisation’s centenary into an opportunity to prepare for the next century of table tennis.

During their visit to the Dominican Republic, Sörling and Weikert also attended a table tennis match at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, held in Santo Domingo from 24 July to 8 August. Their presence took place in a particularly symbolic setting, as this year’s edition of the Games coincided with the centenary of the first edition of the competition, held in 1926, the same year in which the ITTF celebrates its first 100 years of history.

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The agreement goes beyond an aesthetic renewal. After ceasing to be part of the International Tennis Federation in June, World Tennis is undergoing a transformation in which every element of its new identity takes on greater importance. From umpires and tournament officials to coaches, development managers and event staff, different representatives of the organisation will wear clothing specifically designed to reflect a common and recognisable image across the global tennis community.

A new identity that will reach all its teams

The partnership includes a collection of custom-made garments designed for the different roles performed by World Tennis teams. Polo shirts, T-shirts, shorts, sweaters and other pieces will feature the organisation’s new visual identity, allowing those working at its tournaments and projects to share a professional and consistent image, regardless of where they carry out their activities.

Premium Swiss sportswear brand Fourteen Official has become an official supplier of World Tennis after the global governing body announced a two-year partnership.

“This partnership is an important part of bringing the World Tennis brand to life across our global operations,”… pic.twitter.com/D9ECWIumrq

— World Tennis (@worldtennis) August 11, 2026

For Nicky Stanton, World Tennis Commercial Director, this aspect is particularly important at a time of change for the organisation. She highlighted that the partnership will bring the new brand to its global operations and praised Fourteen for sharing a focus on quality, performance and attention to detail. In this sense, the apparel also becomes a tool for making the evolution of World Tennis visible to players, coaches, officials, federations and fans.

Fourteen, the partner chosen to dress World Tennis

The choice of Fourteen connects the renewal of World Tennis with a company that has experience in developing specialised sportswear. Founded in Geneva in 2011, the brand operates under the philosophy of “Swiss precision. Italian design” and focuses on high-performance garments made for athletes and sports organisations. Its track record in tennis includes partnerships with Tennis Europe, the Swiss Tennis Federation, the Czech Tennis Federation and the Slovenian Tennis Federation, as well as tournaments such as the Swiss Open Gstaad ATP 250 and the Geneva Open ATP 250.

The partnership was also welcomed by Andrea Picciau, founder and CEO of Fourteen, who said that taking on the role of official apparel provider represents a special responsibility given the stage World Tennis is currently going through. The company aims to bring its expertise in design and performance to an organisation whose new identity will need to be present across different areas of international tennis, from youth player development to competitions and activities that bring together professionals from around the world.

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The relationship was formalised in 2022 through an initial nine-year agreement covering the period from 2024 to 2032. Volleyball World committed to investing directly in the AVC in exchange for its commercial rights, while the FIVB increased the support provided to Asian national federations through its development programmes. The extension adds another twenty years to the original timeframe and establishes, more than a quarter of a century in advance, who will manage areas including sponsorship, media rights and the commercial aspects of event hosting.

Stability across generations

The length of the agreement is intended to provide continuity for negotiating contracts, investing in competitions and developing new formats without depending on frequent renewals. It also gives the AVC’s 65 national federations a stable framework within which to align their projects with the continental strategy. However, the organisations have not disclosed the financial value of the extension, minimum investment commitments, review mechanisms or possible exit provisions. Their public explanation therefore focuses on the stability required to plan and professionalise Asian volleyball over several decades.

Volleyball World CEO Ugo Valensi described the extension as “a powerful vote of confidence” in what has already been achieved and what lies ahead. “We are creating the long-term stability needed to make bold decisions, invest in the future and continue raising the standard of volleyball across Asia,” he explained. Valensi said volleyball is growing faster in Asia than anywhere else and that the continuity will allow the development of AVC and FIVB competitions to be shaped together.

What has changed since the first agreement

Since the partnership began, the two organisations have modernised the AVC brand, expanded the international distribution of its tournaments and changed how continental competitions are presented and promoted. They have also introduced clearer qualification pathways and guaranteed prize money for the AVC Champions League and the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Championships. The former men’s and women’s Asian club championships were relaunched under the AVC Champions League name in 2025, with prize money and places at the respective Club World Championships available to their best-performing teams.

Commercial exclusivity does not mean that Volleyball World assumes institutional control of Asian volleyball. The AVC retains its authority as the continental governing body, while its partner leads the commercial development of events in areas such as sponsorship, media rights and the commercial aspects of event delivery. Volleyball World was established in 2021 through a partnership between the FIVB and CVC Capital Partners to drive investment, content distribution and engagement between international volleyball, fans and commercial partners.

Asia at the centre of global growth

The scale of the Asian market helps explain such a long-term commitment. Asia accounts for around 52% of volleyball’s global fanbase and will be central to the FIVB’s strategy to double the number of people connected to the sport from 800 million to 1.6 billion by 2032. During the General Assembly, FIVB President Fabio Azevedo described the continent as “the land of volleyball” and highlighted its capacity to contribute to the sport’s worldwide growth. Separately from the commercial agreement, the Volleyball Empowerment programme has invested approximately USD 15 million in 454 projects across Asia and has supported 94% of the AVC’s national federations.

AVC President Ramon Suzara believes that continuity until 2052 will allow its members to “plan, invest and grow with confidence”. According to Suzara, the first phase has already expanded the reach of AVC events and created new opportunities for athletes, national teams and clubs. The extension consolidates that model for the coming decades: Volleyball World provides a shared commercial structure, while the AVC gains the certainty required to develop its competitions and federations in a region both organisations regard as essential to volleyball’s future.

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