Olympic spikers start GP series

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