Olympic spikers start GP series
JAKARTA (JP): World-class volleyball teams from Brazil, the United States, the Netherlands and South Korea will return to the playing field after their Olympic campaigns in the first leg of the World Women's Volleyball Grand Prix (GP) series from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Senayan indoor stadium.
At the same time, Olympic champion Cuba, runner-up China, Japan and Russia will play the other first leg in Sendai, Japan.
It will be Jakarta's third successive occasion to host a leg of the Grand Prix. Last year, Cuba won the Jakarta leg, but the U.S. emerged as the champion in the final leg of the Grand Prix in Shanghai, China.
Brazil was the Grand Prix champion in 1994. The Netherlands was the 1995 European champion, while South Korea is the reigning Asian Games champion.
Secretary-general of the Indonesian Volleyball Association Djauhara Faizal told a conference yesterday that a total of 2,000 seats will be reserved every day for students and members of volleyball clubs nationwide.
First-class tickets are Rp 15,000 each, with second-class tickets priced at Rp 10,000.
Sutardiono, an official of the association. said that there will be no coaching clinics held for Indonesian volleyball players during the Grand Prix, due to the tight match schedule.
Nevertheless, he said, Indonesian coaches can use the break periods to ask their guests for guidance.
The Grand Prix's series will shift to Osaka, Japan and Beijing from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8 before moving to Honolulu and Macau from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15. The penultimate legs will be in Taipei and Hong Kong from Sept. 20 to Sept. 22 and the fifth and final leg in Shanghai, China from Sept. 27 to Sept. 29.
The Grand Prix boasts US$1.5 million in total cash prizes, $200,000 of which is offered at each leg. The best spiker, best setter and best blocker throughout the Grand Prix will also receive money awards. (arf)
Fixtures
Aug. 30 19.00 Holland vs USA 21.00 Brazil vs South Korea
Aug. 31 15.00 USA vs South Korea 17.30 Holland vs Brazil
Sept. 1 18.30 Holland vs South Korea 20.30 USA vs Brazil