BIGDELI Sadegh (IRI)

Sadegh Bigdeli was eager to play sitting volleyball and started at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. Mr Rezai, Mr Saebi and Mr Kashfia are his biggest influences in his career and his development in sport.

Event involvement as a player:

Paralympic Games

Athens 2004, Silver Medal
Beijing 2008, Gold Medal
London 2012, Silver Medal
Rio 2016, Gold Medal
Tokyo 2020, Gold Medal

World Championships

The Netherlands 2006, Silver Medal
Oklahoma 2010, Gold Medal
Elblag 2014, Bronze Medal
The Hague 2018, Gold Medal

Asian Championships

Fespic Games Kuala Lumpur 2006, Gold Medal
Guangzhou 2010 Para Asian Games, Gold Medal
Incheon 2014 Para Asian Games, Gold Medal
Jakarta 2018 Para Asian Games, Gold Medal
Thailand 2019 Asia Oceania, Gold Medal

Other Tournaments

Iran 2018 Paravolley Super 6 – Gold Medal
China 2010 Intercontinental Championships – Gold Medal
Egypt 2010 World Club championships – Gold Medal
China 2010 Asian Club championships – Gold Medal
Egypt 2007 Intercontinental championships – Gold Medal
Brazil 2005 Youth World Championships, Gold Medal

Awards received:

Best Player – Brazil 2005 Youth World Championships
Best receiver – Rio 2016 Paralympic Games
National awards and recognition from Ministry of Sport

BURGER Helena (SLO)

Helena Burger joined the sport as a classifier, team doctor and event-organizer in 1995, when Slovenia organized European championships in sitting volleyball.

Event involvement:

Team doctor of men and women National team of Slovenia:

1995 Ljubljana, European championship, 3rd place women, 6th place men
1999 Sarajevo, European championships, women, 1st place,
2000 Maastricht, World championships, 3rd place,
2001 Sarospatak, European championships, 2nd place
2002 Kamnik, World championships, 2nd place
2004 Athens, Paralympic games, 4th place
2008 Beijing, Paralympic games 4th place
2010 Oklahoma, World Championships, 5th place

Event organization: Medical doctor and classifier

1995 European championship, Ljubljana
2002 World championship, Kamnik
2005 1st Youth World championships in Kamnik

Medical From 1995 to 2010
Classification From 1995 to 2012
Event Organisation From 1995 to 2005

Helena Burger, PhD, MD, as Head of a Department for rehabilitation of patients after amputation, introduced people with disabilities and amputations to the possibility of participating in disability sports, especially sitting volleyball. She has provided preventive health check-ups and fitness counselling, rehabilitation of players’ injuries and research in the field of disability sport. She made a huge contribution to sitting volleyball in Slovenia and other countries, especially in the Balkan area

ĆORLUKA Mile (CRO)

Mile started playing sitting volleyball on the national and international level in 1996 in Croatia. He became quickly involved in the development of the sport, creating numerous new clubs, and attracting a large number of players, which proved to be of great value as a form of rehabilitation for war veterans. In 2006, he founded the Croatian Sitting Volleyball Federation and took on the role as Federation President, Team Manager and Selector.

Event involvement:

2003 – Finland – Zonal – selector and team manager
2005 – Leverkusen / GER – Zonal – selector and team manager
2006 – Roermond / NED – World – selector and team manager
2007 – Nyregyhaza / HUN – Zonal – selector and team manager
2009 – Elblag / POL – Zonal – selector and team manager
2010 – Edmond, OKC / USA – selector and team manager
2011 – Rotterdam / NED – Zonal – selector and team manager
2012 – Cairo / EGY – World – selector and team manager

Administration (Governance) from 1998 to 2013
President of the Croatian Sitting Volleyball Federation (2006-2013)

Mile was always a great advocate for WPV, PVE and their governance in the sport, which he conveyed to the Croatian Paralympic Committee and the Croatian Sitting Volleyball Federation.

COSTA DIAS Gizele (BRA)

Gizele originally started her sitting volleyball activities as a professional athlete at club SESI/SP in Suzano, São Paulo. At the beginning, her father, a footballer, had the greatest influence on her love of sport. At an indoor volleyball match she severely sprained her left knee, rupturing the LCA which required reconstructive surgery. She was left without feeling, movement and strength in her left leg. Her left foot does not move. Brazilian national team coach Ronaldo Oliveira introduced her to sitting volleyball in 2009 and has been in the Brazilian national team since then. She is also an eight-time Brazilian Club Champion with the SESI/SP team.

Event involvement:

2011 Ukraine WPV Intercontinental – 5th place
2011 Mogi das Cruzes, BRA – Parapan American Games Silver Medal
2012 Cairo, Egypt – WPV Intercontinental – 5th place
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Cup – 5th place
2014 Denver, USA Invitation Tournament – 4th place
2014 Moscow, Russia – Moscow Open – 4th place
2015 Toronto, Canada- Parapan American Games Silver Medal
2016 Anji, China – WPV Intercontinental – Bronze Medal
2016 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Paralympic Games Bronze Medal – Best Setter
2018 The Netherlands – WPV World Championships 5th place
2018 Lima, Peru – Parapan American Games Silver Medal – Best Libero
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Paralympic Games Bronze Medal

Numerous Brazilian Awards for Best Receiver and Libero.

EIMERY Jalil (IRI)

He first played in an official elite level competition in 1996 at the Atlanta Paralympic Games. His sitting volleyball and personal development were greatly influenced by his family and coaches.

Event involvement as a player:

Paralympic Games

Atlanta 1996, Gold Medal
Sydney 2000, Gold Medal
Athens 2004, Silver Medal – As Captain
Beijing 2008, Gold Medal – As Captain
London 2012, Silver Medal – As Captain

World Championships

Tehran 1998, Gold Medal
Egypt 2002, Bronze Medal
The Netherlands 2006, Silver Medal
Oklahoma 2010, Gold Medal

Asian Championships

Fespic Games Kuala Lumpur 2006, Gold Medal – Best Defender
Asian Para Games 2010, Gold Medal

World Club Championships

Germany 2003, Gold Medal with Club PEGAH
Egypt 2007, Gold Medal with Club Isfahan ZOBAHAN

From 2020 until the present, he has been coaching. He has also received national awards and recognition from Ministry of Sports and NPC.

GOŠNAK Danica (SLO)

Danica Gošnak was a volleyball player. After health problems she joined the sitting volleyball team ISD Samorastnik Ravne where her older sister also successfully competed for. She started to play sitting volleyball in 1997 and is still an active player of the Slovenian national team. She credits her development in the sport to players of the national team and to coach Adi Urnaut,

Event involvement:

1997 Tallin – European Championships, player, 4th place
1999 Sarajevo – European Championships, player, 1st place,
2000 Maastricht – World Championships, 3rd place, player
2001 Sarospatak – European championships, 2nd place
2002 Kamnik – World Championships, 2nd place
2002 Riga – Euro Cup, 3rd place
2003 Lappeenranta – European Championships, 2nd place
2004 Athens – Paralympic games, 4th place
2005 Leverkusen – European Championships, 3rd place
2006 Roermond – World Championships 3rd place
2007 Nyiregyhaza – European Championships 3rd place
2008 Beijing – Paralympic Games 4th place
2008 Ismailia, Egypt – Intercontinental Cup, 2nd place
2009 Elblag – European Championships 3rd place – Best server
2010 Oklahoma – World Championships, 5th place,
2010 Port Said – World Cup, 3rd place
2011 Rotterdam – European Championships, 4th place – Best server
2012 London – Paralympic Games, 6th place
2013 Elblag – European Championships, 3rd place – Best receiver
2014 Elblag – World Championship, 7th place
2015 Rogaška Slatina – European Championship, 3rd place
2016 Follonica – Subcontinental Cup, 1st place
2017 Poreč – European Championships, 5th place
2018 Rotterdam – World Championships, 13th place
2019 Budapest – European Championships, 5th place
2020 Halifax – Qualification for Paralympic Games, 3rd place
2021 Kemer – European Championships, 4th place

GUEDES DANTAS José Agtônio (BRA)

Physical Education teacher
National Secretary for Parasport (Brazilian Government, since May 2021)
Head Coach of the Brazil National Team of Sitting Volleyball (Women’s)
Specialized in Inclusive Education
Member of the Paralympic Educational Program of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee
Level III Coach of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation.

Volleyball has always been his passion. In 2004, already having vast experience in working with people with disabilities, he got the opportunity to work with a ParaVolley club in Goiania – Brazil. He has continued coaching until the present day.

Without doubt, his biggest influences – and still are – the athletes of the Brazilian National Teams he had the privilege to work with. In 2009, he was appointed the Head Coach of the Brazilian Under 23 team at a Sitting Volleyball World Championship. That opportunity made him realise how deep the gap was in tactical, technical, and physical levels between the Brazilian athletes and the other National Teams. Despite that, he also noticed the enormous potential for growth of the athletes. Since then, it has been his mission to develop more competent work with the athletes by dedicating himself to study and oversee the qualifications in order to discover Brazilian Sitting Volleyball’s true potential.

Event involvement:

2007 Rio de Janeiro/Brazil – Parapan American Games (Training Coordinator) – 1st place
2009 Mashad/Iran – U-21 World Championship (Head Coach) 7th place
2013 Oklaroma/USA – Pre-World Cup competition (Head Coach) 2nd place
2013 Elblag/Poland – European Championship (Guest Observer)
2014 Elblag/Poland – World Championship (Head Coach) 6th place
2015 Toronto/Canada – Parapan American Games (Head Coach) 2nd place
2016 Anji/China – Intercontinental Cup (Head Coach) 3rd place
2016 Rio de Janeiro/Brazil – Paralympic Games (Head Coach) 3rd place
2017 Montreal/Canada – Pre-World Cup competition (Head Coach) 2nd place
2018 Rotterdam/Holland – World Championship (Head Coach) 5th place
2019 Lima/Peru – Parapan American Games (Head Coach) 2nd place
2021 Tokyo/Japan Paralympic Games (Head Coach) 3rd place

He has also worked in the fields of Classification, Administration (Governance), Event Organisation and Research.

VLADO Homan (SLO)

Vlado Homan started competing in sport for the disabled in 1980. Peter Ozmec attracted him to take part and they were the founders of the Sport club for disabled ISD Samorastnik for which he became Vice-president and member of the Executive Board.
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In 1981 Davorin Kragelnik suggested that ISD Samorastnik establish a section in sitting volleyball. Vlado started to practice, recruited others and promoted the sport.

In the autumn of 1981, he took part in the Slovenian National Championships for the first time. From then until 2017 he was a member of the club’s successful sitting volleyball team (and captain for more than 15 years), winning more than 20 national winner titles.

He started to compete internationally in 1982 and soon became one of the pillars of the of the Yugoslavia national team and after the disintegration of the state in 1991 of the Slovenian national team. With the national team he achieved a series of excellent results at major competitions.

Event involvement:

1982 Delden – World championships – 4th place
1983 Budapest – European Championships Budapest – Bronze Medal
1984 New York – Paralympic Games – 5th place
1985 Kristiansand – European and World Championships – Silver Medal
1986 Pecz – European and World Championships – 4th place
1987 Sarajevo – European Championships – Silver Medal
1988 Paralympic Games – 4th place
1989 Slovenia – National Championships of Yugoslavian republics – Gold Medal
1990 Assen – World Championships – Bronze Medal

For Slovenia & club

1992 Ravne – Euro Cup – ISD Samorastnik – 5th place
1993 Jarvenpaa – European Championships – 6th place
1993 Rosendal – Eurocup – ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1994 Bottrop – World Championships – 7th place
1994 Lappenranta Eurocup – ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1995 Lubljana – European Championships – 7th place
1995 Roermond – Eurocup, ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1996 Kristiansand – Eurocup – ISD Samorastnik – 7th place
1997 Tallin – European Championships – 9th place
1997 Hajduszoboszlu – Eurocup – ISD Samorastnik – 9th place
1998 Tehran – World Championhips – 10th place
1999 Sarajevo – European Championships
1999 Enschde – Eurocup – 9th place
2001 Sarospatak – European Championships – 8th place

Homan Vlado played internationally from 1981 to 2017 and was a national volleyball and sitting volleyball referee. For sitting volleyball, he also worked in the fields of event organisation, development, recruitment, sitting volleyball promotion and he was a role model for younger players.

IRŠIČ Alenka (SLO), formerly SART

Alenka Iršič was a volleyball player. She played in a successful volleyball team, which competed in the top Yugoslavian division and later in Slovenian league. She had problems with her knee and joined the sitting volleyball club team ISD Samorastnik Ravne and then the Slovenian national team in 1995. She was a member of the national team until the end of 2012. The greatest influences on her were her team colleagues and coach Adi Urnaut.

Event involvement:

1995 Ljubljana – European championships – Bronze Medal
1997 Tallin – European Championships, – 4th place
1997 Jurmala – Eurocup – Silver Medal
1999 Sarajevo – European Championships – Gold Medal
2000 Maastricht – World Championships – Bronze Medal
2002 Kamnik – World Championships – Silver Medal
2002 Riga – Euro cup – Bronze Medal
2003 Lappeenranta – European Championships – Silver Medal
2004 Athens – Paralympic Games – 4th place
2006 Roermond – World Championships Bronze Medal
2007 Nyiregyhaza – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2008 Beijing – Paralympic Games – 4th place
2008 Ismailia Intercontinental Cup – Silver Medal
2009 Elblag – European Championships Bronze Medal
2010 Oklahoma – World Championships – 5th place
2010 Port Said – Intercontinental Cup – Bronze Medal
2011 Rotterdam – European Championships – 4th place
2012 London – Paralympic Games – 6th place

She also worked in the fields of event organization (2002 World Championships for Women in Kamnik), and development; being a role model for other developing teams in the region.

Awards received:

Award of the Slovenian Association for Sport for the Disabled at the end of sport career, 2013
Silver and bronze badges from the Slovenian Association of Disabled Sports and the Slovenian Olympic Committee for sport achievements 1995-2009

KANAHELE-MACLAY Kaleo (USA)

Kaleo started with WOVD/WPV at the 2010 World Championships in Oklahoma, USA.

Regarding the greatest influence on her development Kaleo states:

“Bill Hamiter our head coach has not only taught me sitting volleyball but I truly believe is the reason I am where I am today with the sport. He has known me and trained me for over half of my life, and I am eternally grateful for his love, devotion and support of me as an athlete and human!”

Event involvement:

2010 – WOVD World Championship (Silver Medallist)
2011 – Parapan American Zonal Championship (Gold Medallist)
2012 – Dutch Tournament
2012 – Shanghai Tournament
2012 – London Paralympics (Silver Medallist)
2014 – World Championship (Silver Medallist)
2015 – Toronto – Parapan American Games, (Gold Medallist)
2016 – Dutch Tournament (Gold Medallist)
2016 – Anji, China – WPV Intercontinental Cup (Gold Medallist)
2016 – Rio Paralympics (Gold Medallist)
2017 – Montreal – PanAmerican Zonal Championship (Gold Medallist)
2017 – WPV Super 6 (Silver Medallist)
2018 – Netherlands – World Championship (Silver Medallist)
2019 – Peru – ParaPan American Games (Gold Medallist)
2019 – WPV Super 6 (Gold Medallist)

Awards received:

2014 – Player of the Year for USA Women’s Sitting Volleyball
2016 – Member of the Best Paralympic Team at 2016 Team USA Awards
2016 – Best Setter, Rio Paralympic Games
2017 – Best Setter & MVP, WPV Super 6
2018 – Best Setter, World Championships
2019 – Best Setter, Parapan American Games
2020/1 – Best Setter, Tokyo Paralympic Games

“Kaleo has made an impression on spectators around the world, and she has made a positive impact on our sport not only through her impressive play, but through our ability to connect and inspire athletes and fans as well. She is a great ambassador for our sport and USA, our Zone, and WPV is better because she’s involved.”

– Michelle Goodall USA Assistant Coach

KASAP Damir (CRO)

Damir started playing sitting volleyball on the national and international level in 1996 in Croatia and still is a member of the national team. The sport was ideal for social rehabilitation of war veterans and their inclusion back to society. Later on, with new generations it quickly spread and turned out to be his life calling.

As a player opponent teams had great influence on his development, as did the individual skills of various players, but as a person who has been actively involved in sitting volleyball development he has closely collaborated with Mile Corluka from the beginning.

Event involvement:

1999 – Sarajevo, BiH – Zonal Championships
2005 – Leverkusen / GER – Zonal Championships
2006 – Roermond / NED – World Championships
2007 – Nyregyhaza / HUN – Zonal Championships
2009 – Elblag / POL – Zonal Championships
2010 – Edmond, Oklahoma / USA – World Championships
2011 – Rotterdam / NED – Zonal Championships
2012 – Cairo / EGY – World Championships
2014 – Elblag / POL – World Championships
2017 – Poreč / CRO – Zonal Championships
2018 – Venlo / NED – World Championships
2019 – Budapest / HUN – Zonal Championships
2021 – Duisburg / GER – World Championships
2021 – Kemer / TUR – Zonal Championships

He has worked in the field of sport, club and individual development, both national and regional, as well as in the field of Administration (Governance) from 1998 to the present. He is currently working in Sitting Volleyball Club ‘Zagreb’ as club President and Manager.

KASKABAYEV Erik (KAZ)

Erik started playing sitting volleyball in 2002 and then internationally in 2006 at the Asian Para Games in Malaysia. Kulushov Nuraly has been the person he has credited as having the greatest influence on his development in the sport.

Event involvement:

2006 Malaysia – Asian Para Games
2007 Brazil – Youth World Championships – Best Player Award
2009 Iran – Junior World Championships
2010 Edmond, USA – World Championships (Division B – Gold Medal)
2014 Incheon, Korea – Asian Para Games – 4th Place
2017 Hangzhou, China – Asian Zonal Championships
2018 Indonesia – Asian Para Games – Bronze Medla
2019 Thailand – Asian Zonal Championships – Bronze Medal

Erik Kaskabayev is an International Level Master of Sport in Kazakhstan and has also worked in the fields on coaching (2010 – present) and as a national referee (2016 – present). His regional team became champions of Kazakhstan and winners of the KAZ Paralympic Games (2021). A talented player and experienced coach, he is seen as a role model for athletes of the Kyzylorda Region and of the nation.

KOTNIK HREN Saša (SLO)

Saša was a volleyball player who, after an accident in which she lost her leg, continued playing, first in the sitting volleyball club team ISD Samorastnik Ravne and then in the Slovenian national team. Her only wish after the amputation had been to continue playing volleyball. Doctor Demšar’s words always echoed in her mind:

“Saša, despite the amputation, you will be able to do everything in your life.”

By continuing to play volleyball she was an inspiration to and role model for others. She started playing sitting volleyball in 1999 and ended her career in 2017.

Event involvement:

1999 Sarajevo – European Championships – Gold Medal
2000 Maastricht – World Championships – Bronze Medal
2001 Sarospatak – European Championships – Silver Medal
2002 Kamnik – World Championships – Silver Medal
2003 Izola, Slovenia – WOVD Youth Volleyball Festival – 4th Placed – Best Player
2003 Lappeenranta – European Championships – Silver Medal
2004 Athens – Paralympic Games – 4th place
2005 Leverkusen – European Championships – Bronze Medal – Best Setter Award & All Star Team
2006 Roermond – World Championships – Bronze Medal
2007 Nyiregyhaza – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2008 Beijing – Paralympic Games – 4th place
2008 Ismailia – Intercontinental Cup – Silver Medal
2011 Rotterdam – European Championships – 4th place
2011 Ekaterinburg – Euro Cup
2012 London – Paralympic Games – 6th place
2013 Elblag – European Championship – Bronze Medal
2017 Poreč – European Championships – 5th place

SAŠA was involved in the fields of event organisation, in 2005 participating in the organization of 1st Youth World Championships in Kamnik, and in the development and promotion of the sport at national, Zonal and world levels. She participated in the Beijing Paralympic Games sitting volleyball promotional video.

MARSZALEK Jolanta (POL)

Masters and PhD in the research areas of physical fitness, performance, and classification systems for Paralympic Sport. PhD thesis on Evaluation of classification system in sitting volleyball (in Polish). Published several papers on topics relating to sitting volleyball.

Contributed to the development of a Research Scoping & Strategy exercise to guide the Commission on future research priorities.

First started with World Paravolley in 2014 whilst researching for her PhD dissertation. In 2016 became a member of the WPV Scientific Research Commission and then in 2018 was appointed as Chair of the Commission.

Event involvement:

2014 – Elblag/Poland – World Championships – researcher
2015 – Warendorf/Germany – PVE Zonal Championships – Qualified as Level 1 Classifier
2017 – Agard/Hungary – National Championship – Classifier
2017 – Atyrau/Kazahstan – National Championships – Classifier
2018 – Netherlands – WPV World Championships – Qualified as Level 2 Classifier
2018 – Tourcoing/France – PVE New Nations – Classifier
2019 – Porec/Croatia – PVE Zonal Championship Qualifier – Classifier
2019 – Lima/Peru – ParaPan American Games – Classifier
2019 – Bangkok/Thailand – Asian Para Games – Classifier
2019 – Budapest/Hungary – European Championships – Classifier
2021 – Duisburg/Germany – PVE Zonal Championships – Classifier

MATEUOV Yernar (KAZ)

Yernar Mateuov started playing sitting volleyball nationally in 2002 and internationally in 2008 at the Intercontinental Cup in Egypt. He credits Takhauov Bayrzhan as having the greatest influence on his development.

Event involvement:

2008 Ismailia, Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – Player
2009 Iran – Junior World Championships – Player
2010 Edmond, USA – World Championships – Player (Division B Gold Medal)
2014 Incheon, Korea – Asian Para Games – Coach – 4th Place
2017 Hangzhou, China – Asian Zonal Championships – Coach – Silver Medal
2018 Indonesia – Asian Para Games – Coach – Bronze Medal
2019 Thailand – Asian Zonal Championships – Coach -Bronze Medal
2021 Germany – Tokyo Paralympic Qualifier – Coach – Silver Medal

As well as a player and more recently a coach (2010 – Present), he has also worked as a national referee since 2018. As a coach he has won the KAZ Championship ten times and has developed several of KAZ’s best players. He has been awarded in Kazakhstan as an International Level Master of Sport and has made a major contribution to the positive image of Team KAZ.

MATTHEWS Monique (USA)

Monique started with WOVD/WPV in 2010 at the World Championships in Edmond, Oklahoma. She states:

“Bill Hamiter has been the greatest influence on me and my development because he is literally the person who taught me how to play not only sitting volleyball, but any volleyball. I am where I am skill wise because of his coaching and knowledge of the sport.”

Event involvement:

2010 – WOVD World Championship (Silver Medallist)
2011 – Parapan American Zonal Championship (Gold Medallist)
2012 – Dutch Tournament
2012 – Shanghai Tournament
2012 – London Paralympics (Silver Medallist)
2014 – World Championship (Silver Medallist)
2015 – Parapan American Games, Toronto, Canada (Gold Medallist)
2016 – Dutch Tournament (Gold Medallist)
2016 – WPV Intercontinental Cup, Anji, China (Gold Medallist)
2016 – Rio Paralympics (Gold Medallist)
2017 – PanAmerican Zonal Championship, Montreal, Canada (Gold Medallist)
2017 – WPV Super 6 (Silver Medallist)
2018 – World Championship, Netherlands (Silver Medallist)
2019 – ParaPan American Games, Peru (Gold Medallist)
2019 – WPV Super 6 (Gold Medallist)
2021 – Golden Nations League (Gold Medallist)
2021 – Tokyo Paralympics (Gold Medallist)

Awards received:

2015 – Player of the Year for USA Women’s Sitting Volleyball
2016 – Member of the Best Paralympic Team at 2016 Team USA Awards
2017 – Best Server, WPV Super 6
2017 – Best Server, PanAmerican Zonal Championships
2017 – Player of the Year for USA Women’s Sitting Volleyball
2019 – Player of the Year for USA Women’s Sitting Volleyball
2021 – Best Blocker, Tokyo Paralympic Games

MEHRZADSELAKJANI Morteza (IRI)

Morteza started his spectacular international sitting volleyball career at the 2016 Intercontinental in Anji, China. He credits his friend Mr Golchin for facilitating his introduction to the sport.

Event involvement:

Paralympic Games

2016 – Rio Paralympic Games – Gold Medal
2020 – Tokyo Paralympic Games – Gold Medal

World Championships

2018 – The Netherlands – Gold Medal

Asian Championships

2019 Thailand – Asian Championships – Gold Medal
2018 Malaysia – Asian Para Games – Gold Medal
2017 China Asian Zonal Championships – Gold Medal

Awards received:

Most Valuable Player and Best Spiker of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics
National awards and recognition from IRI Ministry of Sports and NPC.

Morteza is an International Player and multi-gold medallist. He has become an inspiration to others by overcoming his personal challenges and has achieved world renown and major publicity for sitting volleyball.

OSBORNE Richard (GBR)

Richard started playing SV in 2010 and began coaching in 2011 and have continued since. He started as a player because a family friend who had lost both her legs introduced him to the sport. He instantly fell in love with it. Three months after starting, his coach passed away suddenly, so he stepped in and has been a coach since.

It was Charlotte Hughes who inspired him to start playing sitting volleyball after her recovery from double amputation. On a coaching level, he has great admiration and respect for Ian Legrand and Sean Poole who have both helped shape his coaching style and ability. Since 2020 he has been Sitting Volleyball Lead for Volleyball England.

Event involvement:

2014 – Coach of the Georgian Armed Forces Sitting Volleyball Team for the Invictus Games, London (4th place).
2016- Coach of the Georgian Armed Forces Sitting Volleyball Team for the Invictus Games, Florida (Bronze Medal).
2017 – Coach of the Georgian Armed Forces Sitting Volleyball Team for the Invictus Games, Toronto (Gold Medal).
2018 – Coach of the UK Armed Forces Sitting Volleyball Team for the Invictus Games, Sydney (Silver Medal).
2014 – present GB Development Coach.
2011 – present Head Coach South Hants Sitting Volleyball Club
Sitting Volleyball Lead for Volleyball England (2020 – present)

Awards received:

Volleyball England Coach of the Year (2019 and 2021)
East Hampshire Portfolio Holders Award (Special Recognition) 2019
East Hampshire Sports Awards Coach of the Year – 2017
Hampshire Sports Awards Participation Coach of the Year 2015

“I have known Richard for just over ten years and during that time he has impressed me with his commitment to the sport of sitting volleyball – initially through his work in Georgia and through the Invictus Games. His coaching expertise has led to his latest role with Volleyball England as the lead for sitting volleyball and his enduring promotion both on court and through written coaching material deserves high recognition.”

– Richard Callicott OBE, President of the British Volleyball Federation and Honorary President of Volleyball England

RASMUSSEN Brent (USA)

Brent started playing sitting volleyball in August of 2003 after becoming disabled in Feb 2002, after a bad car accident. He was introduced through Wheelchair Softball and after the first camp made the US sitting team and trained and played on the US team through 2011

“I would say Bill Hamiter had the greatest influence on my development in the sport. We were all new to the sport after the 2004 Paralympic Games and we worked to make the sport a household name in the US. As Captain of the men’s team, we figured out how much practice was too much and not enough and worked to create the US High Performance plan for Sitting Volleyball. I would say Edgar Miraku had just as much of an impact on me personally as a coach. One that truly cared for his players and went above and beyond to show that. He was there from the beginning too to make sitting volleyball what it is in the US today.”

2004-2019 Tournament Director for the largest Sitting Tournament in the US. Hosted in Omaha, NE where we have had international teams and up to 24 teams for the largest year. Usually hosting 16 teams ranging from first time players to international WPV athletes. Ran the tournament while also playing each year.

Event involvement:

2006-2008 Started US Open for Sitting volleyball
2015-2018 supported a local Sitting team to take to US Opens
2003 Mar de Plata, Argentina – Pan American Games – Player – Gold medal
2004 Athens – Paralympic Games Player/Captain
2006 Roermond, NED – World championships Player/Captain
2007 Guadalajara, Mexico – Pan American Games, Player/Captain
2010 Edmond, Oklahoma -World Championships Player/Captain
2011 Rio de Janeiro – Pan American Games Player/Captain

As well as being a player Brent worked in the fields of Coaching (2008-2017), Event Organisation (2004-2019) and Sponsorship (2003- 2017)

Awards received:

USA Volleyball All Time Great Male Player Sitting 2017 (Hall of Fame)
2015 MVP US Open National Championships
2015 Gold Medal US Open National Championships – Team Florida
2016 Gold Medal US Open National Championships – Nebraska High Rollers
2017 Bronze Medal US Open National Championships – Nebraska High Rollers

Official posts held:

USA Volleyball Board of Director Sitting Athlete 2015-2022
USA Volleyball Chair of Personnel Committee 2017-2021
USA Volleyball Foundation Director Member 2017-2020
USA Volleyball Audit, Finance, & Budget Committee 2018-2022
USA Volleyball Sitting Commission Chair 2016-2019
WOVD Athlete Rep for 2 years in the mid 2000s

SALEHIHAJIKOLAEI Ramezan (IRI)

Ramezan started sitting volleyball in 2002 at a tournament in Germany. His father has been the person who has had the greatest influence on him and has supported him throughout his career.

Event involvement:

Paralympic Games

2004 – Athens Games – Silver Medal – Best Libero
2008 – Beijing Games – Gold Medal – Best Libero
2012 – London Games – Silver Medal – Best Libero
2016 – Rio Games – Gold Medal – Best Libero
2021 – Tokyo Games – Gold Medal

World Championships

2006 – The Netherlands – Silver Medal
2010 – Oklahoma – Gold Medal
2014 – Elblag – Bronze Medal
2018 – The Netherlands – Gold Medal

Asian Championships

2006 – Kuala Lumpur – Fespic Games – Gold Medal
2010 – Guangzhou Asian Para Games – Gold Medal
2014 – Incheon Asian Para Games – Gold Medal
2018 – Jakarta – Asian Para Games – Gold Medal
2019 – Thailand – PVAO Zonal Championships – Gold Medal

Awards received:

National awards and recognition from IRI Ministry of Sport and NPC

WALKER Gregory William (USA)

Gregory started working with USA Volleyball on the high performance programme in 2012 and was invited to train with the men’s sitting team in 2013, after the 2012 quad had concluded. Head coached the USA Men’s team in Canada shortly after that. Remained on staff as the 1st Assistant Coach and was hired by USA Volleyball in 2016 to fill the role of Head Coach of the Men’s team. Coaching 2013 to present.

“Without doubt, the biggest influence on me, not only in the sport but in life, has been our USA Program Director and one of the winningest USA National Team HC’s regardless of discipline, Bill Hamiter. Because of his true mentorship and love for all our staff and athletes, he has truly shown what a calling this can be and the importance of serving the mission of the Paralympic ideal.”

Event involvement:

2021 Germany – World ParaVolley Final Paralympic Qualifier
2019 Lima, Peru – Parapan American Games – Silver Medal
2018 Netherlands – World ParaVolley World Championships – top 8 finish, first time USA finished top 10
2018 Tabriz, Iran – Super 6
2017 Montreal, Canada – Paravolley Pan American Zonal Championships – Silver Medal – qualified for 2018 World Championships
2016 Rio de Janiero, Brasil – Paralympic Games
2016 Hangzhou, China – Intercontinental Cup
2015 Toronto, Canada – Parapan American Games – Qualified for Rio 2016
2014 Elblag, Poland – World ParaVolley World Championships
2013 Montreal, Canada – Exhibition at the Defi Sportif

WAUCHOPE Dee (GBR)

She attended her international referee course in 2007 in Sheffield, England with a view to hopefully officiate at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Many referees, referee commission members, coaches, players and TDs have had a profound influence on her. She would particularly like to single out Denis Le Breuilly, Steve Walton and Maciej Chodzko-Zajco for their encouragement and mentorship

Event involvement:

2008 Leverkusen/Germany- European Junior Championships
2009 Roermond/Netherlands – Euro Cup
2009 Elblag/Poland – European Championships
2010 Port Said/Egypt – World Cup
2010 Oklahoma/USA – World Championships
2011 Kettering/England – Continental Cup
2011 Rotterdam/Netherlands – European Championships
2012 Cairo/Egypt – Intercontinental Cup
2012 London/England – Paralympic Games
2013 Elblag/Poland – European Championships
2014 Elblag/Poland – World Championships
2015 Warendorf/Germany – Men’s European Championships
2016 Anji/China – Intercontinental Cup
2018 Chengdu/China – Women’s Super 6
2019 Budapest/Hungary – European Championships
2021 Kemer/Turkey – European Championships

Awards received:

Volleyball England Referee of the Year 2012

Official posts held:

Volleyball England Regional Referee Coordinator; Referee Staff Member; Referee Course Tutor; Referee Commission Member

ZIRAHI Isa (IRI)

Isa started playing sitting volleyball in 1995 and then internationally at a tournament in Finland in 1998. The greatest influence on his career and his development in the sport was his coach Mr Arab.

Event involvement:

Paralympic Games

2000 Sydney – Gold Medal
2004 Athens – Silver Medal
2008 Beijing – Gold Medal
2012 London – Silver Medal
2016 Rio de Janeiro – Gold Medal

World Championships

2006 The Netherlands – Silver Medal
2010 Oklahoma – Gold Medal
2018 The Netherlands – Gold Medal

Asian Championships

2006 Kuala Lumpur – Fespic Games – Gold Medal
2010 Guanghzou, China – Asian Para Games – Gold Medal
2014 Asian Para Games – Gold Medal
2018 Jakarta, Indonesia – Incheon, Korea – Asian Para Games – Gold Medal

Played from 1995 to 2018

Awards received:

National awards and recognition from IRI Ministry of Sport and NPC.

ZUMMO Bethany (USA)

Bethany began playing internationally at the 2011 ParaPan American Zonal Championships

“Bill Hamiter continues to be the greatest influence on me and my development in sitting volleyball. Bill truly evolved the sport by seeing potential in many athletes, including myself. He once told me he found his passion and purpose in serving the underserved, and Bill truly exemplifies that. Before Bill Hamiter, I never had a coach see me as an athlete, let alone see me without my disability. Bill pushes me to grow every practice, always there to help me succeed.”

Event involvement:

2011 Mogi das Cruz, Brazil – Parapan American Zonal Championship (Gold Medallist)
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Championship (Silver Medallist)
2015 Toronto, Canada – Parapan American Games (Gold Medallist)
2016 The Netherlands – Dutch Tournament (Gold Medallist)
2016 Anji, China – WPV Intercontinental Cup (Gold Medallist)
2016 Rio de Janeiro – Paralympics Games (Gold Medallist)
2017 Hangzhou, China – World ParaVolley Super 6 (Silver Medallist)
2018 The Netherlands – World Championships (Silver Medallist)
2019 Lima, Peru – ParaPan American Games (Gold Medallist)
2020/1 Tokyo – Paralympic Games (Gold Medallist)

Awards received:

2016 – Member of the Best Paralympic Team at 2016 Team USA Awards
2018 – Best Libero, World Championship
2021 – Libero & Best Receiver, Tokyo Paralympic Games

“Bethany is an amazing athlete and has been a starting libero for our team for years. She has dedicated herself to this sport and has grown exponentially and is certainly one of the best liberos in the world. We are fortunate she is on our team.

“Bethany is a quiet leader, and her remarkable play inspires fans young and old. Her athleticism is always on display, and her energetic defence makes our game so fun to watch.”

– Michelle Goodall – Assistant Coach

ANDERSSON Mats – SWE (PVE)

Mats started with WOVD in 1983 when the organiser of the annual Malmö Open introduced sitting volleyball and needed referees. Among the greatest influences on his development were Jorunn Hynes, chair of the volleyball committee in the Swedish Federation for disabled, who believed in him and made it possible for him to go to the International Referees course in 1993; and Jan Otto Solvang, who believed in him from the very beginning and has been supportive through the years.

Event involvement:

Refereeing from 1983 to 2004
Technical Official (TD, Jury) from 1998 to 2013
Administration (Governance) from 1997 to 2004

REFEREEING

Paralympics

1996 Atlanta, USA (semi-final + final)
2000 Sydney, Australia (semi-final)
2004 Athens, Greece (final)

World Championships

1994 Bottrop, Germany (interrupted due to injury)
1998 Teheran, Iran (semi-final)
2002 Cairo, Egypt (final)

European Championships

1993 Järvenpää, Finland (international referee course)
1997 Tallin, Estonia (no records of games)
2003 Lappeenranta, Finland (final)

Euro cups

1993 Roosendaal, The Netherlands (final)
1994 Lappeenranta, Finland (no records of games)
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands (no records of games)
2000 Leverkusen, Germany (bronze game)

Nordic Open

1996 Norrköping, Sweden (semi-final + final)

Active international referee from 1983-2004, and additionally for several club tournaments –

Malmö, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Kristiansand, Berlin

TECHNICAL OFFICIAL

JUDGE REFEREE

1998 EuroCup Osijek, Croatia
1999 European Championships Sarajevo, Bosnia
2001 EuroCup de Lutte, the Netherlands
2001 European Championships, Sarospatak, Hungary
2002 EuroCup Riga, Latvia
2003 Asia Oceania Championship, Narita, Japan
2003 EuroCup, Debrecen, Hungary
2004 EuroCup Leipzig, Germany

JURY/CONTROL COMMITTEE

2009 European Championships, Elblag, Poland
2010 EuroCup Nyiregyhaza, Hungary
2011 European Championships, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
2013 European Championships, Elblag, Poland

TECHNICAL DELEGATE

2011 Continental Cup, Yevpatoria, Ukraine

Official posts held:

1997—1999, Member of ECVD Referee Committee
2000—2004, Chair of ECVD Referee Committee
2000—2004, Member of WPV Referee Committee
2000—2004, Member of ECVD Board (as Chair of ECVD Referee Committee)

ARCHIBALD Glynn – GBR (PVE)

Glynn started with WOVD/WPV in 2007 when he attended a WOVD International Referee course in Sheffield UK. For him, it was an opportunity to referee at an international level and give back to the sport of volleyball. Denis Le Breuilly had the biggest influence and impact on him and his refereeing career.

Event involvement:

2008 – Egypt – Intercontinental – International Referee
2008 – Hungary – European Cup – International Referee
2009 – Poland – European Championship – International Referee
2009 – Iran – Junior World Championship – International Referee
2010 – Egypt – World Cup – International Referee
2010 – Oklahoma – World Championship – International Referee
2010 – Hungary – Euro Cup – International Referee
2011 – England – Continental Cup – International Referee
2011 – Rotterdam – European Championship – International Referee
2012 – Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – International Referee
2012 – England – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2013 – Elblag, Poland – European Championship – International Referee
2014 – Elblag, Poland – WPV World Championship – International Referee
2015 – Toronto – PARA PANAM Games – ITO Referee
2016 – China – Intercontinental Cup – International Referee
2016 – Brazil – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2017 – China – WPV Super Six (Women) – International Referee
2017 – Porec, Croatia – European Championship – International referee
2018 – Netherlands – World Championships – International Referee
2020 – Halifax, Canada – Paralympic Qualifier – WPV Referee Observer
2021 – Tokyo – Paralympic Games – WPV Referee Delegate

Official posts held:

Volleyball England – Officials Group Member (Sitting Volleyball Lead)
World ParaVolley – Team Lead (Chair) Referees Commission

ASHCROFT Louise – CAN (PVPA)

Official post held:

World ParaVolley Medical Director 2016-present

Louise started with WOVD/WPV in Regina, Saskatchewan, at the WOVD Standing World Cup in 2005 as a volunteer organizer of the Medical services for the Event. She was asked if she wanted to attend a classifier workshop and realised it was a good fit for her skills and passion for volleyball – a sport she has been involved with as an athlete and medical professional for over 40 years. She bought a plane ticket to the World Championships in Roermond the following year at the invitation of Jenni Cole to finish classification training.

All her WPV classifier colleagues have supported and challenged her thinking about classification. Major contributors to her development have been Barry Couzner, Denis Le Breuilly and Toralv Thorkildsen – who listen and act, and believe in what they do in the medical department, and inspire her every time they meet

Event involvement:

2005 Trainee – Classification & Chief Therapist World Cup for Disabled Standing Volleyball, Regina, CANADA
2006 International Classifier Trainee – World Championships, Roermond, NED
2010 International Classifier – World Championships, Oklahoma USA
2014 International Classifier – World Championships, Elblag POL
2015 International Classifier – ParaPanam Games, Toronto CAN
2016 International Classifier – Paralympic Games, Rio, BRA
2017 Chief Classifier – PVE European Championships, Porec, CRO (and provisional classification of all athletes for new 2018 rules)
2018 International Classifier – Asian ParaGames – Jakarta, IND
2019 International Classifier and L1 instructor – PVE Zonal Championships – Budapest, HUN
2019 International Classifier and L1 instructor – PVAO Zonal Championships – Bangkok, THA
2019 International Classifier – PVA Zonal Championships, Kigali, RWA
2019 International Classifier – ParaPanam Games, Lima, PER
2020 International Classifier – Final womens PLG Qualifier, Halifax, CAN
2021 International Classifier & COVID-19 liaison officer – Paralympic Games, Tokyo JAP
2021 Chief Classifier – PVE Zonal Championships, Kemer, TUR
2017 & 2019 WPV Representative for IF Classification Meetings with IPC
2017 WPV Representative for WADA Anti-Doping Conference
2021 & 2022 Tutor for Online L1 Classification Courses in July/August 2021 and Feb/Mar 2022

In summary, her involvement to the present time has been and is in a number of fields:

Classification since 2006, Anti-Doping since 2015, Administration (Governance) since 2016 and Research since 2020; involving working as a classifier educator, managing the Classification Rule Review Process (2016-18) and as Medical Director ensuring that World ParaVolley remains Code Compliant with the IPC Classification Code and the WADA Anti-Doping Code.

Awards received:

Canadian Physiotherapy Association – Medal of Distinction 2021
World ParaVolley Recognition Award 2020

POSTHUMOUS

BANFI Jože – YUG/SLO/NED (PVE)

Jože Banfi started his involvement in the Centre for Education and Rehabilitation of Physically Handicapped Children and Adolescents in Kamnik, Slovenia. As well as competing in sitting volleyball he also competed in table tennis and swimming.

As an athlete he participated in two Paralympic Games (1980, 1984) in both sitting volleyball and swimming and won six medals in swimming (3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze) and a bronze medal in sitting volleyball (1980). In the 1988 Paralympics he placed 4th place with Yugoslavia, and in 1996 4th again, then with the Netherlands.

He played sitting volleyball for the national team of Yugoslavia from 1980 until 1990, from 1991 for Slovenia and from 1996 for The Netherlands. He played for different clubs; from 1981 until 1995 for ISD Samorastnik in Slovenia and from 2000-2013 for the Dutch Club Team Volleer. Thus he played from 1980 to 2013. He was also a coach and instructor from 2000 until 2013.

Joze was a WOVD Instructor, and he worked on various sports development events for coaches and promotional events for youth. He acted as supervisor of both men and women national sitting volleyball teams, and he initiated the youth program and supported the EYOF tournament in The Netherlands.

Event involvement:

Player

1980 The Netherlands – Paralympic Games – National team of Yugoslavia – Bronze Medal
1981 Bonn, Germany – World Games for disabled – 5th place
1982 Delden – World Cup – National team of Yugoslavia – 4th place
1983 Budapest, Hungary – European Championships – National team of Yugoslavia – Bronze Medal
1984 New York – Paralympic Games – National team of Yugoslavia – 5th place
1985 Kristiansand, Norway – European and World Championships – National team of Yugoslavia – 2nd place
1986 Pecz, Hungary – European and World Championships – National team of Yugoslavia – 4th place
1987 Sarajevo – European Championships – National team of Yugoslavia – 2nd place
1988 Seoul, Korea -Paralympic Games – National team of Yugoslavia – 4th place
1989 Slovenia – National Championships of Yugoslavian Republics – Gold Medal
1990 Assen, The Netherlands – World Championships – National team of Yugoslavia – Bronze Medal
1992 EuroCup – ISD Samorastnik – 5th place
1993 Jarvenpaa, Finland – European Championships – National team of Slovenia – 6th plac
1994 Bottrop, Germany -World Championships – National team of Slovenia – 7th place
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships – National team of Slovenia – 7th place
1995 EuroCup, Roermond , ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1996 USA – Paralympic Games – National team of the Netherland – 4th place

Coach

2000 The Netherlands – World Championship – Gold Medal
2001 Hungary – European Championship – Gold Medal
2002 Egypt – World Championship- Gold Medal
2002 Euro Cup – Gold Medal
2003 Finland – European Championship – Gold Medal
2004 Greece – Paralympic Games – Silver Medal
2005 Germany – European Championship – Gold Medal
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championship – Silver Medal
2007 Hungary – European Championship – Gold Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – Bronze Medal

Player / Coach National League

2007 National Championship Gold Medal
2008 National Championship Gold Medal
2009 National Championship Silver Medal
2010 National Championship Silver Medal
2013 National Championship Gold Medal

Head Coach Dutch Men’s team and supervisor national teams 2012 – 2013
Head Coach National Women’s Team of The Netherlands 2000 – 2004
ParaVolley Player and Trainer/Coach Dutch Club Team Volleer 2000 – 2013
Member of Advisory Board NEVOBO (Sitting Volleyball) 2011 – 2013

Awards received:

Slovenian National Sport Award, the Bloudek Plaque for Sport achievements (1980)
Honorary Golden Nevobo pin for his services for sitting volleyball in The Netherlands;

Official posts held:

WOVD instructor
Member of Advisory Board NEVOBO (Sitting Volleyball, 2011 – 2013)
Member of the working group for integration of sitting volleyball within the Dutch Volleyball Federation NEVOBO
Worked in Sitting Volleyball Advisory Board at NEVOBO on sports developmental matters
Acted as supervisor of both men and women national sitting volleyball teams

Through his promotional, development and educational activities in different European nations and countries around the World, Jože Banfi made a significant contribution to the development of sitting volleyball as both a player and a coach.

BLAKE Elliot – USA (PVPA)

Elliot is the manager of sitting volleyball at USA Volleyball

He is responsible for the identification and recruitment of athletes for training, development, and future national team consideration.

He leads Sitting National Team Development Program (SNTDP), providing new athletes with the foundation of knowledge, skills development, and understanding of team strategy.

He provides teaching to new sitting volleyball coaches and practice through participation in SNTDP.

He oversees all domestic national team events and competitions and provide logistical support during team training camps.

He leads the grassroots development of sitting volleyball across the country by developing new partnerships with disabled sport and volleyball organizations.

He pursues funding and grant opportunities to support grassroots initiatives, the SNTDP, and/or national teams. Since 2009, have received over $600,000 in funding support.

Elliot began working for USA Volleyball in April 2008 as the first full time employee dedicated to sitting volleyball. His role has been to support the grassroots development of sitting volleyball across the United States and to identify and recruit new athletes for the national teams. Since then, he has created and led the athlete development pipeline, currently called the Sitting National Team Development Program, and has conducted a large number of clinics, presentations, and competitions to further support the sport’s growth. Additionally, he have served World ParaVolley and the Pan American Zone in numerous capacities as an LOC Tournament or Competition Director, PVPA Jury Delegate, and member of the World ParaVolley Technical Commission.

John Kessel and Bill Hamiter have had the greatest influence on him, primarily because they were his supervisors at USA Volleyball. However, they also took time to have detailed discussions and brainstorming sessions with him on new ideas for growing the sport of sitting volleyball at low cost and great appeal. Additionally, his own Team USA athletes have been very influential as they have always posed questions regarding new opportunities to grow the game or introduce new athletes to our programs.

Event involvement:

2020 – Edmond, OK, USA, LOC Tournament Director, Men’s Final Paralympic Qualifier (cancelled two days before team arrivals due to COVID-19)
2019-Present, member of World ParaVolley Technical Commission
2019, Tokyo, Japan, WPV Women Super 6, Technical Coordinator, USA Women’s Sitting National Team, Gold Medal
2019, Lima, Peru, Lima 2019 Para Pan American Games, Technical Coordinator, USA Women’s Sitting National Team, Gold Medal
2018, Tabriz, Iran, WPV Men’s Super 6, Team Leader, USA Men’s Sitting National Team, 6th place
2017, Montreal, Canada, PVPA Sitting Volleyball Zone Championships, Jury Delegate
2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Para Pan American Games, Head Coach, USA Girl’s Youth Sitting Team, Silver Medal
2016, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Technical Coordinator, USA Men’s Sitting National Team, 8th place
2016, China, Technical Coordinator, USA Men’s Sitting National Team, WPV Intercontinental Cup
2015-2017, Technical Officer, Board of Directors, ParaVolley Pan America Zone
2015, Toronto, Canada, Toronto 2015 Para Pan American Games Technical Coordinator, USA Men’s Sitting National Team, Silver Medal
2013, Edmond, OK, USA, ParaVolley Pan America Sitting Volleyball Zone Championships, LOC Tournament Director
2012, London, England, London 2012 Paralympic Games, Technical Coordinator, USA Women’s Sitting National Team, Silver Medal
2011, Guadalajara, Mexico, Guadalajara 2011 Para Pan American Games, Jury Delegate
2011, Kettering, England, Continental Cup, Technical Coordinator, USA Men’s Sitting National Team
2010, Edmond, OK, USA, WOVD Sitting Volleyball World Championships, LOC Competition Director
2010, Denver, CO, USA, WOVD Pan America Sitting Volleyball Zone Championships, LOC Tournament Director

Worked until the present in the fields of event management since 2010, coaching from 2009, national refereeing from 2010, technical officiating from 2011, and administration (governance) from 2015.

Awards received:

2014, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Diversity & Inclusion NGB Choice Award for Sitting Volleyball Summit

Official posts held:

2019-Present, member of World ParaVolley Technical Commission
2015-2017, Technical Officer, ParaVolley Pan America Board of Directors

CALLICOTT Richard OBE – GBR (PVE)

Richard’s initial involvement started with WOVD back in the 1970s as President of Volleyball England when they initiated a Tournament for people with disabilities (Ray Tingley event) in London. At that time it was standing volleyball and great progress was made under the Coaching of Gordon Neale. That progress continued throughout the 1980s as they were on the threshold of qualifying for the 1992 Paralympic Games until the British Paralympic Association decided they would not send the team that had qualified. It wasn’t until sitting volleyball came to the fore that they again started to make progress from a low point until the London Games 2012 when they were able to persuade the BPA to ensure they were entered for both men and women. It helped that he was a Board member of the BPA by then and he was able to make sure that they did not follow the same route as 1992. Since 2012 they have started up a Grand Prix series for sitting volleyball teams which is growing, and started up a British men’s and Women’s team programme with funding from UKSport. This is the first funding since 2009. The programme under Ian le Grand is planning competition into European and World events having already played in a number of events in the years pre-pandemic.

His inspiration was the late Ray Tingley and Gordon Neale. Gordon for his sheer persistence and patience and determination and skill. His commitment to sport for people with disabilities or impairments has grown over the years

He attended the WOVD congress in The Netherlands in 2008, which made him determined to ensure that people with disabilities would not be forgotten again and that it would be an essential part of the work of Volleyball England. Now the British Volleyball Federation have established Sitting volleyball as part of their everyday work, with a former player now a member of the Board of the BVF and with a performance management group which has sitting volleyball as part of that group. He attended the Sydney, Beijing and Rio Games where he attended the Sitting Volleyball programme of games.
He has worked in administration(governance) and event organisation since 1970.

Event involvement:

Outstanding service to Volleyball by the FIVB in 2016
The British Association of Sports Administrators outstanding contribution 2003
CCPR(national Sports NGBs organisation) Arthur Ellis Award for outstanding leadership
Honorary President of Volleyball England 2005 to present day
Presidency of Commonwealth Beach Volleyball 2011 to present day
Chair of Judicial Committee of World ParaVolley

Official posts held:

Chair Commonwealth Beach Volleyball
President FIVB Ethics Panel
Chair World ParaVolley Judicial Committee
President British Volleyball Federation
Former Vice President of European Volleyball
Chair/President Volleyball England 1981-1993 and 2005-2013
Formerly Head of Sport Birmingham City Council, Head of Sport National Indoor Arena and Chief Executive Officer UKSport

“Richard has been a true comrade from the birth of sitting and standing volleyball in Great Britain in the early ’70s. His contribution and commitment to each of these roles has been outstanding and recognised worldwide. His valued support of the development of sitting and standing volleyball especially at government level undoubtedly enhanced the progress within the sport. Richard now, through the British Volleyball Federation continues to add further value to our sport, including as the chair of the WPV Judicial Commission.”

– Gordon Neale OBE

CAMPBELL Joseph – USA (PVPA)

Joe began as a referee in regular volleyball in Misawa, Japan in 1979 while working for the US Air Force. In 1989 while living in Las Vegas, Nevada he received a phone call from the Mayor of Las Vegas asking if he would referee an international competition that would be played at the Las Vegas Hilton. He soon found out it was the ISOD World Championships (sitting and standing). At the completion of this competition, Mr. Radu Rosenthal asked if he would like to become more involved with their organization. He replied “yes” because he was utterly amazed at the athleticism of the athletes. In 1992 he received his invitation to attend an international referee course that was held in Great Britain.

He has four people to thank for their influence on him as a referee. Moke Taipiano as he conducted his first referee clinic in Japan in 1979. Pete Velasco a player for team USA in the 1960’s (now in the International Volleyball Hall of Fame) was a collegiate coach in California, and guided him and provided great feedback on his performances as a referee when he was a young referee. Thomas Hoy who was his USA Volleyball Referee Chair for 25 years in the Texas Lone Star Region. He was instrumental in helping him to obtain his Junior National and National certifications as a USAV referee. Gaby Lotan as he always gave him exceptionally good feedback on his performance as a referee for ISOD/WOVD/WPV. He provided him good training & education and worked with him to improve his skills as a referee with physically challenged athletes. His constructive critiques allowed him to grow and enhance his referee abilities.

Event involvement:

1989 (Referee) World Championships – Las Vegas, Nevada USA
1992 (Candidate) WOVD International Referee Course – Watford, England
1992 (Referee) Paralympic Games – Barcelona, Spain
1994 (Referee) Standing World Championships – Bottrop, Germany
1995 (Instructor) WOVD International Referee Course w/Gaby Lotan – Denver, Colorado
1996 (Referee & Observer) Paralympic Games – Atlanta, Georgia USA
1998 (Referee & Observer) Standing World Championships – Olsztyn, Poland
1999 (Referee Delegate) Panam Open Standing Volleyball Championships & Paralympic Qualifier – Laval, Quebec, Canada
2000 (Referee) Paralympic Games – Sydney, Australia
2002 (Referee) World Championships – Cairo, Egypt
2003 (Technical Delegate) Parapan American Games – Mar del Plata, Argentina
2004 (Instructor) WOVD International Referee Course – w/Steve Walton – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2004 (Referee) Paralympic Games – Athens, Greece
2005 (Referee Delegate) Standing World Cup – Regina, Canada
2007: (Referee Delegate) Sitting Junior World Championships – Niteroi, Brazil
2007 (Referee & Observer) Parapan American Games – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2008 (Referee) Paralympic Games – Beijing, China
2010 (Referee) Sitting World Cup – Port Said, Egypt
2010 (Assistant Technical Delegate) World Championships – Edmond, Oklahoma USA
2011 (Referee Delegate) Parapan American Games (Women) – Mogi das Cruz, Brazil
2011 (Referee Observer) Parapan American Games (Men) – Guadalajara, Mexico
2012 (Instructor) Level 3 International Referee Course – w/Pierre Farmer – Toronto, Canada
2012 (Referee) Paralympic Games – London, England
2014 (Jury Member) World Championships – Elblag, Poland
2015 (Technical Delegate) Parapan America Games – Toronto, Canada
2016 (Jury Member) Intercontinental Cup – Anji, China
2016 (Jury Member) Paralympic Games – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2016.12: (Instructor) WPV Level 3 Referee Course – w/Denis Le Breuilly – Tokyo, Japan
2017 (Referee Observer) European Championships – Porec, Croatia
2017. (Technical Delegate) Youth Parapan America Games – Sao Paulo, Brazil
2017 (Technical Delegate) Parapan America Games – Montreal, Canada
2018 (Jury Member) World Championships – Venlo, Eindhoven, The Hague, The Netherlands
2019. (Technical Delegate) Parapan America Games – Lima, Peru
2020 (Technical Delegate) Qualification PG Women – Halifax, Canada
2021 (Head Jury) Paralympic Games – Tokyo, Japan

Worked as an International Referee 1992-2014, and in the fields of Technical Officiating and Administration (Governance) from 1994 to the present.

Awards received:

2020 Inducted into the USA Volleyball Hall of Fame – Leader in Volleyball Award
2015 USAV Rebecca Howard Star Award
2008 Volleyball Festival Leadership Award
2007 USAV Karen M Johnson Human Resources Award
2002 USAV Robert L. Lindsey Meritorious Service Award

Official posts held:

World ParaVolley International Referee: 1992-2014
PVPA Referee Commissioner: 1994-2012
PVPA President: 2012-present
Southeast Conference (SEC) Officials Vice-President: 2009-2011
Southeast Conference (SEC) Officials President: 2011-2012 (I retired in 2012)
USA Volleyball (Lone Star Region) Referee Chairman: 2020-present
USAV Rules Commission: 2012-present
USAV International Referee Commission: 2019-present
USAV Advisory Commission: 2020-present

CAÑON REYES Geni Tunney – COL (PVPA)

Geni Tunney is the ParaVolley Pan America Development Director

He started working with WOVD in 2010, in preparation for Colombia’s participation in the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games. The project had already started in 2008 in the health battalion of the Colombian army with men amputated by explosive devices. He had had previous academic experience in the City of Havana, Cuba from 2006 to 2007. It was at that time that the foundations for the project entitled ‘Sitting Volleyball in Colombia’ had been set.

The person who influenced his decision to work in sitting volleyball was his university degree thesis professor: Professor Argelio Pascual Hernández, professor of the Cuban Volleyball Federation and FIVB instructor, who in volleyball classes guided him to believe volleyball, whatever the form practiced, must generate a social and academic impact. Thus his degree work resulted with “Anthropometric characteristics of the Male and Female Youth team of the ESFAR of Havana City”. Professor Gaspar Jaca Echavarria, a Cuban sitting volleyball teacher, encouraged him to carry out the same work with the sitting volleyball team and it was then that the interest in sitting volleyball became part of his life.

Event involvement:

2011- Guadalajara,Mexico – Parapan American Games -Head Coach – fourth place
2012 – Cairo/Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – Head Coach.
2013- San Jose/Costa Rica – Paracentral American Games – Head Coach – Silver Medal
2015 – Toronto/Canada – Parapan American Games – Head Coach- fourth place
2019 – Lima/Peru – Parapan American Games – Head Coach- Fourth place.

He has been involved in the fields of Coaching (2008-present), Research (2013 to present), and event organisation (2011-2019).

Awards received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award for having made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of sitting volleyball as an International Coach
Recognition by The Congress of the Republic of Colombia for the development of sitting volleyball.

“Geni Tunney is solely responsible for reaching out and recruiting 7 countries within the Pan America Zone and securing their membership of WPV. He has arranged webinars for leaders of each country to speak with PVPA Board members so they could ask questions, and we could provide them with relevant educational information as well as membership requirements. He also travelled to 3 or 4 nations and provided coach/player training/education in order to help these countries to begin their programs.

“His contributions have had a major impact on the growth of the Pan American Zone. He has personally impacted more than 200 players and possibly 30+ coaches with his outreach to the 7 countries, and he continues to recruit nations.”

– Joe Campbell PVPA President

CHODZKO-ZAJKO Maciej GBR (PVE)

Maciej started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in 1989/1990. He was asked to help out as a referee in the UK, as International appointments with FIVB were not possible, as he only qualified as a referee with the English Volleyball Association in 1987 at age 33.

Those who had the greatest influence on his development were Bernard Kilkenny, Steve Walton, Denis Le Breuilly and Toralv Thorkildsen – all four on the refereeing side and Toralv Thorkildsen also on the technical pathway.

Event involvement:

1994 – Lappeenranta, Finland – EuroCup – Referee
1996 – Kristiansand, Norway – Eurocup – Referee
2005 – Elbląg, Poland – Eurocup – Referee
2007 – Nyíregyháza, Hungary – European Championships – Referee
2008 – Nyíregyháza , Hungary – EuroCup – Referee
2009 – Roermond, The Netherlands – Women’s EuroCup – Assistant Technical Delegate
2009 – Elbląg, Poland – European Championships – Referee
2010 – Elbląg, Poland – EuroCup – Technical Delegate
2010 – Edmond, Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – Jury Member
2011 – Yevpatoriya, Ukraine – Continental Cup – Technical Delegate
2011 – Nyíregyháza, Hungary – EuroCup – Technical Delegate
2012 – London, England – Paralympic Games – Jury Member
2013 – Rotterdam, The Netherlands – European Championships – Technical Delegate
2015 – Warendorf, Germany – European Championships (Men) – Technical Delegate
2015 – Podčetrtek, Slovenia – European Championships (Women) – Assistant Technical Delegate
2017 – Poreč, Croatia – European Championships – Technical Delegate
2019 – Budapest, Hungary – European Championships – Jury Member
2019 – Tokyo, Japan – Women’s Super6 – Jury Member

Refereeing 1982-2009 and Technical Official 2009 – present.

Official posts held:

World ParaVolley Technical Commission Team Leader
Sport Director, ECVD/PVE, 2009-2017

CHAVES Ronaldo Tadeu BRA (PVPA)

Ronaldo Tadeu started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in 2006 in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro when he took the International Referee Course.

In WOVD/WPV the person who had the greatest influence on his development was Mr Gaby Lotan, a special person both on and off court. He also changed his life as a person, for which he will always be grateful.

Event involvement:

2006 – Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Sitting Volleyball Brazilian Cup (International Course) – as Referee Candidate
2006 – Roermond, The Netherlands – Trio World Championships of Volleyball Standing and Sitting – International Referee
2007 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Parapan American Games – Sitting Volleyball Men – Volunteer
2008 – Ismalia, Egypt – 1st WOVD Intercontinental Cup – International Referee
2008 – Beijing, China – XXIX Paralympic Games – International Referee
2010 – Edmond, Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – International Referee
2011 – Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil – IV Parapan American Games (Women) – International Referee
2012 – Cairo / Egypt – WOVD Intercontinental Cup – International Referee
2012 – London, Great Britain – XXX Paralympic Games – International Referee
2013 – By Invitation – Member of WOVD Referee Commission as Pan America Zone Referee Commissioner
2013 – São Paulo, Brazil – International Challenge – Assistant Referee Delegate
2013 – Edmond, Oklahoma, USA Pan America Zonal Championships – Referee Delegate
2014 – Elblag, Poland – World Championships – International Referee
2015 – Elblag, Poland – WPV Observers Course (Elblag Cup) – Observer Candidate
2015 – Toronto, Canada – V Parapan American Games – Assistant Referee Delegate
2016 – São Paulo, Brazil – Youth Para Pan American Games – Referee Delegate
2016 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – XXXI Paralympic Games – International Referee
2017 – São Paulo, Brazil – Parapan American Games – Referee Delegate
2017 – Montreal, Canada – Pan America Zonal Championships – Referee Delegate
2018 – Arnhem and Rotterdam, The Netherlands – World Championship – International Referee
2019 – Lima, Peru – VI Parapan American Games – Referee Delegate

Administration (Governance)

PVPA Referee Commissioner & World ParaVolley Referee Commission from 2013 to 2021

COLLOT Isabelle FRA (PVE)

Isabelle started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in 2011 at the Intercontinental Cup in Kettering (UK), as preparation for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. She had just discovered sitting volleyball. She started playing as she could no longer play standing volleyball and fell in love with the discipline.

Matt Rogers had the greatest influence on her development in the sport as he provided (and is still providing) guidance and insights on sitting volleyball since she started playing and getting involved in the development of the discipline

Event involvement:

2011 – Kettering (UK) – World ParaVolley Intercontinental cup – Athlete Services Group Leader
2012 – London (UK) – Paralympic Games – Athlete Services Group Leader
2014 – Elblag (POL) – WPV World Championship – Media Delegate as part of the VolleySLIDE Team
2016 – Appointed ParaVolley Europe Marketing Director
2016 – World ParaVolley Level 1 Coaching course organiser and certified coach
2017 to present – ParaVolley Europe Communication Director
2017 – Hangzhou (CHN) – World Super 6 Women – Media Delegate
2019 – Budapest (HUN) – European Sitting Volleyball Championship – Media Delegate
2019 – Tokyo (JPN) – World Super 6 Women – Media Delegate
2020 – Paris (FRA) – Board Member French Volleyball Federation responsible for Sitting Volleyball development
2021 – Tokyo (JPN) – Paralympic Games – Media Delegate
2021 – Kemer (TUR) – European Sitting Volleyball Championship – Media Delegate

She has been involved with Media and Administration (Governance) from 2016 until the present, Event Organisation from 2017 to the present, Coaching from 2013-2016 and as a player 2010 to 2016.

ĆOSIĆ Ivan – CRO (PVE)

Ivan started playing sitting volleyball at international level in 2006 in Croatia. His first international competition was the European Championships in Nyregyhaza, HUN, in 2007. Being part of the competition and seeing the playing level of Russia and Bosnia-Herzegovina inspired him to work on his development. After a while, thanks to his good communications skills, he started to get involved in team management and project management which led him to where he is today.

As a player, a lot of people had a big influence on him. He still watches the subtle things that great players do, like Viktor Milenin, Mirzet Duran, Denis Shestakov, Denis Bytchenko and many more, and tries to figure out what they do and try to implement techniques in training to be better.

As a team manager and a project manager, Damir Kasap had a big influence on him. Working with him at close hand, he learned to try and always get the best from people, and to implement the best of his training methods.

Event involvement:

2007 – Nyregyhaza / HUN – Zonal Championships – player
2009 – Elblag / POL – Zonal Championships – Player
2010 – Edmond, Oklahoma / USA – World Championships – player
2011 – Rotterdam / NED – Zonal Championships – player
2012 – Cairo / EGY – World Championships – player
2014 – Elblag / POL – World Championships – Player and Team Manager
2017 – Poreč / CRO – Zonal Championships – player and Team Manager – Best Hitter
2018 – Venlo / NED – World Championships – player and Team Manager
2019 – Budapest / HUN – Zonal Championships – player and Team Manager – Best Hitter
2021 – Duisburg / GER – World Championships – player and Team Manager
2021 – Kemer / TUR – Zonal Championships – Player and Team Manager

He has been involved as a player from 2007 to the present and in Administration (Governance) since 2013.

Awards received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award 2020

Official post held:

ParaVolley Europe Athlete Representative

DILLON Jerry – GBR (PVE)

Jerry started playing volleyball in 1981 when he was approached by the GB National volleyball coach at Stoke Mandeville Sports Centre in England, which is where the British Amputee Sports Association held their national games. The GB coach asked him if I would be interested in joining some training sessions with the GB Volleyball team, which he did and quickly fell in love with Volleyball. He felt it was a dynamic and exciting team sport, which fitted his own sporting profile. He took up Volleyball over many other sports he could have taken part in. He found Volleyball to be high tempo with a high level of skill required to play. He needed to be very fit to play, as many of the matches lasted a long period of time with many over five sets

In the early years, it was Pete Pina-Rosa who had the greatest influence on him, he was an above knee amputee and was the GB team setter at the time. Further into his career, it was the GB volleyball coach Jim McKenna who inspired him with his eye for detail and the way he could break down a volleyball drill, which allowed him to understand the mechanics of what was required to improve his skill levels. As well as improving his physical playing, he also taught him the importance of the psychological side and developing a good mindset. He still uses many of the psychological tips and tricks that he taught. Also, there was GB Volleyball Manager, Gordon Black, whom he learnt other general life skills from, both in general life and working in teams.

He had the great pleasure and honour to represent Great Britain over one hundred times in Standing Volleyball competitions as the teams Joint Setter and as an attacking player covering Paralympic Games, European and World Championships.

He represented Great Britain at four Paralympics games in Standing Volleyball:

1984 New York, USA Paralympics
1988 Soul, Korea Paralympics
1992 Barcelona, Span Paralympics
1996 Atlanta, USA Paralympics

In between the Paralympics, he also represented GB at numerous World and European Standing Volleyball competitions from 1981 until his final international competition, which was at the Pan-AM Open in Montreal Canada in 1999. He represented Great Britain in the following international tournaments:

1985 Norway – European and World Championships
1986 Israel – World Championships
1987 France – European Championships
1989 Poland – European Championships
1989 USA – World Championships – Bronze Medal
1990 France – World Championships
1991 Great Britain – European Championships
1993 France – European Championships
1994 Slovakia – European Cup
1995 Poland – European Open Championships
1998 Poland – World Championships
1999 Canada – Pan-AM Open

In addition to the above international tournaments, he also represented Great Britain in a number of friendly international standing volleyball matches against France, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia and the USA.

The Great Britain Standing Volleyball team also played in National volleyball tournaments every year against able-bodied volleyball teams at various indoor and outdoor tournaments in the UK. This was not only in preparation for up-and-coming international events, but also as a showcase to demonstrate their skill to able-bodied teams and the general public who watched the matches. This showed what the GB disabled volleyball team could and did achieve and, in many cases, they beat able-bodied volleyball teams. Along with representing GB in National and International competitions, he also played able-bodied volleyball for a number of Local and National volleyball teams.

He currently uses his experience of his Volleyball days to regularly give motivational talks and lectures to schools, businesses, after dinner talks and individual organisations about his experiences of competing in the Paralympics and representing GB in the other international competitions.

During these talks and lectures, he speaks about his life as an amputee and about his life as an international Standing Volleyball player. This has been a great source of inspiration, not only to himself, but also to the students and people he has met as he has been asked regularly to do follow-up talks.

These talks gave him the opportunity to answer questions people may have, not only related to disabled volleyball, but also allow an opportunity to break down misconceptions of what disabled people think and feel about life in general and how together, gain a better understanding and knowledge of what disabled people can achieve in sport. He hopes this may break down barriers for disabled people to also seek to achieve their goals and aspirations in their own lives outside sport and in society in general. He takes to the talks his various day to day and sports legs so they can see and feel the latest high-tech prosthetic legs first-hand.

As well as playing from 1981-1999, he worked in the field of Administration (Governance) from 1985-1998 as a Committee Member and eventually Vice-Chairman of the British Amputee Sports Association. He was head of the delegation at the Youth Disabled Games in Miami in 1989.

Awards received:

Best GB Young player at the 1984 Paralympics.
World ParaVolley Standing Volleyball Recognition Award 2021.

Widely recognised as one of the world’s best standing volleyball players who has a joint disability, as he is an above knee amputee and only has a thumb on his right hand.

DUDA Eric – USA (PVPA)

Eric’s first tournament was in Willa, Poland in 2002 with the USA Standing National Team. He joined because he wanted to represent his country and continue to play this awesome sport.

Overall Bill Hamiter had the greatest influence on his development as a sitting volleyball player. He helped start the resident training program in the US and asked him to be the first participant. Practicing with him daily grew his skills. Greg Walker, his current coach, gave him the opportunity to grow his leadership skills.

Event involvement:

2019 Lima, Peru – Parapan American Games – Silver Medal
2019 Pingtan, China – World ParaVolley Beach World Series Pingtan Open – Gold Medal
2018 The Netherlands – World ParaVolley World Championships – Best Receiver
2018 ParaVolley Super 6
2017 Canada, ParaVolley Pan American Games – Silver Medal
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Paralympic Games
2016 Anji, China – ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup
2015 Toronto, Canada – Parapan American Games – Silver Medal
2014 Elblag, Poland – World ParaVolley World Championships
2013 Parapan American Zonal Championships – Silver Medal
2012 Egypt – Intercontinental Cup
2011 Mexico – Parapan American Games – Silver Flag
2011 Continental Cup
2010 Edmond, Oklahoma, USA – World ParaVolley World Championships
2009 USA – Parapan American Championship – Gold Medal
2007 Brazil – Parapan American Games – Silver Medal
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World ParaVolley World Championship
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games
2003 Argentina – Parapan American Games

Award received:

USAV All Time Great 2016

Official posts held:

Athletes Advisory Council for the USOPC
Chair of the USAV AAC

ELAIUTY Mosaad EGY (PVA)

Ph.D. Physical Education, Speciality – Sports Psychology 2004
MA.D. Physical Education, Speciality Training Athletes 2000
Graduation Faculty of Physical Education, Volleyball 1994
International Coaching Courses in disabled sports Leipzig University Germany 2011
International Volleyball Course Level II 2009
International Olympic Academy in Sports Leadership 1996
Professor in the Department of Theories and Applications of Team Games and Racquet Games, specializing in Volleyball, and previously in the Department of Sports Psychology

Mosaad started work with ParaVolley in 2004 with team club Elhorria Port Said before moving to the Egyptian national team 2005.

When he was player, the person who had the greatest influence on him was his coach Mohamed Farag. He learned a lot from him and made him want to be a coach. He also learned from other coaches and his studies in Physical Education at Leipzig University in Germany.

Event involvement:

Activities

World ParaVolley Staff Tutor for Level I Coaches Courses in Rwanda (Kigali) October 2019, Mozambique (Maputo) December 2018, Ghana (Takoradi) October 2018, Egypt (Cairo), Libya Tripoli November 2012
General Manager of the World Cup Sitting Volleyball World Cup March 2012.
Member of the Organizing Committee World Cup Sitting Volleyball Club World Cup Egypt – Port Said 2010.
Observer at the European Championships – Hungary 2007, Poland 2013, Germany 2015, Croatia 2017.
Played from 1984-2002 and have coached since 2002

Head Coach of the Egyptian Sitting volleyball team from 2005 to 2008 and from 2013 until January 2014 during which time the team achieved:

2005 Cairo, Egypt, ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – Gold Medal – qualified for the 2006 World Championships
2006 Sarajevo – Bosnian International Championship – Silver Medal
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships – Bronze Medal
2007 Cairo, Egypt – Afro-Arab Games – Gold Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – 4th Place
2008 Ismalia, Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – fourth place

Head Coach of Egyptian Men’s sitting volleyball team, starting from May 2014, during which time the team achieved:

2016 Rio de Janeiro – Paralympic Games – Bronze Medal
2015 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – Gold Medal – Qualified for R10 2016
2017 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championship – Gold Medal – Qualified for World Championships 2018
2016 Anji, China – Intercontinental – Bronze Medal
2016 Italy – Italian International Championship – Gold Medal
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Cup – 4th Place
2016 Sarajevo – Sarajevo International Championship – 4th Place
2018 The Netherlands – World Championships – 6th Place
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Paralympic Games – 5th Place

Head Coach of Rwandan Women’s and Men’s sitting volleyball teams 2019, during which the teams achieved:

2019 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – Gold Medal (Women) – qualifying for Tokyo Paralympic Games
2019 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – Silver Medal (Men)

Head Coach of the Elhorria Club Sitting Volleyball team from 1994 to 1998 and in the period from 2004, during which the team achieved:

First place and the league championship excellent 1995 season
First place and the championship Premier League A and the second place in the Cup of Egypt in the 2005 season
Second place in the Arab Clubs Championship in Syria in 2007
Fourth place in the Hungarian International Championship 2007
First place in the Poland International Championship 2008
First place in the Arab African International Championship, Port Said, 2009
First place in the Maghreb and North Africa Championship in Tunisia in 2009
Second place in the Premier League Championship in the 2010 season
Third place and bronze medal in the World Club Cup in Port Said 2010
Second place and silver medal in the Netherlands International Championship 2013

Awards received:

Recipient of the Accolade of the Republic of the third class from the President of Egypt

Official posts:

Chairman of the Coaches and Development Committees of ParaVolley Africa
Member of the Coaches and Development Committees of World ParaVolley
World ParaVolley Staff Tutor for Coaches Courses

Has provided knowledge to many coaches in African and Middle Eastern countries through the World ParaVolley Coaches courses. He has helped spread the game widely in Egypt, the Arabic countries and Africa through social media, television programmes and his YouTube channel.

GIUGNI OAM Stephen AUS (PVAO)

Stephen became involved with WOVD as Australia began its preparations for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. It was a wonderful opportunity for Australia to host the Games, and a great opportunity for Australian Volleyball officials, as it required local referees to support the event. As a result, Stephen successfully completed an International Referee course in Sydney in 1999 at the South Pacific Games – the first time that Australia had hosted a sitting volleyball event.

Regarding who had the greatest influence on his development, Stephen Giugni stated:

“The list is extensive but the person who has provided the most support and guidance throughout my career has been Barry Couzner. Barry provided guidance and support to me as a developing referee within World ParaVolley, and he always encouraged me to look at exploring a range of ways to support our organisation including involvement in the Referee Commission and then bringing my experience as an FIVB Beach Volleyball referee to assist the development of Beach ParaVolley over the last decade.”

Event involvement:

1999 to 2017 – International Referee Highlights

1999 – Sydney, Australia – South Pacific Games – International Referee Course
2000 – Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2002 – Busan Korea – 8th FESPIC Games – International Referee
2004 – Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2006 – The Netherlands – World Championships – International Referee
2010 – USA – World Championships – International Referee
2012 – London, England – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2014 – Poland – World Championships – International Referee
2016 – Rio, Brasil – Paralympic Games – International Referee

Referee Observer

2017 – Canada – PanAm Zonal Championships – Referee Observer
2018 – The Netherlands – World Championships – Referee Observer

Referee Delegate / Instructor

2014 – Iran – Asia Oceania Championships – Referee Delegate, WPV Staff Tutor/Referee Instructor
2018 – Sydney, Australia – INVICTUS Games – Referee Delegate, WPV Staff Tutor/Referee Instructor

Referee Commission

2010 – 2018 – World ParaVolley Referee Commission Member
2010 – 2014 – Asia-Oceania Referee Commission representative
2014 – 2018 – Beach representative with responsibility for facilitating the development of the Rules of the Game for beach related disciplines

Assistant Sport Director – Beach

2018 – current – Assistant Sport Director – Beach – with the role of establishing the strategy to support the development of Beach ParaVolley, specifically in the refinement of the documentation, protocols and rules, and to work with the Board to support the proposal for inclusion of Beach ParaVolley in LA2028 Paralympic Games. Relevant Skills include – FIVB International Beach Volleyball Referee – 1996 – 2017

Beach ParaVolley Technical Official

2019 – Pingtan, China – Pingtan Open, Beach ParaVolley – Technical Delegate

Accredited World ParaVolley Referee Delegate, Referee Observer and Referee Staff Tutor. Involved with Administration (Governance) since 2008.

Awards received:

Recognised with an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) in 2017, in part for services to Volleyball and ParaVolley, including as a referee and in the development of referees
Life Member – Volleyball Australia – in recognition of sustained performance as a national and international referee for FIVB and World ParaVolley and referee development.

Official posts:

Assistant Sport Director (Beach)
Member of WPV Referee Commission

“I have known Dr. Stephen Giugni OAM for the last three decades through our mutual involvement in volleyball and paravolley. His greatest contribution has been in the areas of officiating, mentoring and administration for sitting volleyball, standing volleyball and beach paravolley. In these fields he has made a significant contribution as a volunteer by officiating at many major World ParaVolley sanctioned events, by supporting the development of new referees and by leading the effort to include the discipline of beach paravolley in the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

“His greatest recent impact has perhaps been in the area of beach paravolley where his extensive experience as an international beach volleyball referee for the FIVB has enabled him to develop the necessary background documentation for the efficient and effective conduct of beach paravolley events for the athletes and also to lead the update of the beach paravolley and beach sitting Rules of the Game.

“Stephen Giugni has a proven willingness to contribute to the development of World ParaVolley in all disciplines worldwide and in Asia/Oceania and the event commitments he has made over many years.”

– Barry Couzner OAM World ParaVolley President

GUTFLEISCH Oliver – GER (PVE)

Oliver started standing volleyball in 1992 in the UK, two years after his car accident, before that he was an active volleyball player from 1983. His nick name is ‘the goldfish’.

Those who had the greatest influence on him as a person and sportsman were:

His fellow sportsmen, dealing with great courage, optimism and determination with their disability; making it an ability and chance; guiding him after the depression and grief of his accident; helping him to stand up in every respect

His coach Athanasios Papageorgiou for being a great teacher for volleyball and life (a “sensei” in the true sense), together with his passion to win and anything else in life where passion matters.

The greatest disappointment for me was the failure of WOVD and the NPCs to keep our wonderful sport of standing volleyball alive as a Paralympic discipline after Sydney 2000, and the consequent disappearance of standing volleyball internationally after Cambodia 2011. It was in my opinion the most versatile and inclusive disabled team sport, helping men to get up, stand up, return to and perform in life

Event involvement:

1993 France – European Championship – player for Great Britain
1994 Germany – World Championship – player for Great Britain
1995 Poland – European Championship – player for Great Britain
1996 USA – Paralympics (7th) – player for Great Britain
1997 European Championship (Silver Medal) – banned because of returning to GER
1998 Poland – World Championship (Silver Medal) – first event as a player for GE
1999 Montreal, Canada – Pan-AM Open & Sydney Qualifier (Silver Medal) – player
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympics (Gold Medal) – player
2001 Slovakia – World Cup (Silver Medal) – player
2002 Poland – World Championship (Bronze Medal) – player
2003 Greece – World Cup (Bronze Medal) – player
2004 Germany – World Championship (Bronze Medal) – player
2005 Canada – World Cup (Silver Medal) – player
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships (Silver Medal) – player
2007 Cambodia – World Cup (Gold Medal) – player
2008 Slovakia – World Championship (Gold Medal) – player
2009 Cambodia – World Cup (Gold Medal) – player

Awards received:

Paralympic Games 2000: gold medal in Sydney with Germany
Paralympic Games 1996: 7th place in Atlanta with Great Britain, captain of the team
Several gold, silver and bronze medals with Germany at World, European championships as well as World Cups
Several awards for best setter, best libero, best defence and all-star team
Awarded 2000 with the Silver Laurel Leaf in Germany (highest award a sportsman can achieve in Germany)

Official post held:

International athlete representative from 1996 – 2006

HAMITER Bill USA (PVPA)

Bill began working with the men’s sitting programme in 2001 in the USA to build a programme and team. In 2005 he worked out a contract to have University of Central Oklahoma become the National Training Site, USA’s first ever. In 2009 he was hired full-time by USA Volleyball and became its first director of Sitting programmes. He is currently active.

“My father had the greatest influence on me as a person. He taught me work ethic, positive attitude & outlook, being respectful of others, and analytical thinking. In volleyball, John Kessel & Doug Beal influenced me the most. John helped me develop in the pedagogy, motor learning, & science of the game. Doug helped me develop in the fine points of the upper levels of the game and gave me significant help in management/administration of a programme.”

Event involvement included:

2002 Cairo/Egypt -World Championship – Men’s coach
2003 Mar del Plata/Argentina – Pan America Zone Championship – Men’s coach – Gold
2004 Athens – Paralympics – Men’s coach
2005 – Pan America Zone Championship – coach – Men’s Gold
2006 Netherlands – World Championship – Men’s coach
2007 Rio de Janeiro/Brazil – Pan America Zone Championship – Men’s coach – Silver
2009 Montreal/Canada – Pan America Zone Championship – Women’s coach – Gold
2010 Denver/USA – Pan America Zone Championship – Women’s coach – Gold
2010 Edmond/USA – World Championship – Women’s coach – Silver
2011 San Paulo/Brazil – Pan America Zone Championship Women – Women’s coach – Gold
2011 Guadalajara/Mexico – Pan America Zone Championship Men – Men’s coach – Silve
2012 London – Paralympic Games – Women’s coach – Silver
2013 Edmond/USA – Pan America Zone Championship – Women’s coach – Gold
2014 Elblag/Poland – World Championship – Women’s Coach – Silver
2015 Toronto/Canada – Pan American Zone Championship – Women’s coach – Gold
2016 Hangzhou/China – Intercontinental Cup – Women’s coach – Gold
2016 Rio de Janeiro/Brazil – Paralympic Games – Women’s coach – Gold
2017 Hangzhou/China – Super 6 – Women’s coach – Silver
2017 Montreal/Canada – Pan America Zone Championship – Women’s Coach – Gold
2018 Netherlands – World Championship – Women’s coach – Silver
2019 Lima/Peru – Pan American Zone Championship – Women’s coach – Gold
2019 Tokyo/Japan – Super 6 – Women’s coach – Gold
2021 Tokyo/Japan – Paralympic Games – Women’s coach – Gold

Worked in the field of coaching from 2001 and in Administration (Governance) since 2015 – both until the present

Awards received:

NAIA District 9 Coach of the Year (86’, 87’, 88’, 89’, 90’), USA Volleyball 2015 Leader in Volleyball Award, 2016 AVCA Special Recognition Coach of the Year Award, USA Volleyball 2016 All Time Great Coach Award,

Official posts held:

FIVB NORCECA Technical & Coaches Commission
WPV Sitting Volleyball Rules of the Game Committee
WPV Coach Commission
OKRVA Board President
USA Volleyball Youth/Junior Division Elite Development Committee Chairman

HANKOVA Helena SVK (PVE)

As a professional volleyball player she started to work as a teacher at a high school for people with disabilities in 1970 in Bratislava. She started to teach the students standing volleyball and encourage their passion and love of the sport. They attended many competitions in former Czechoslovakia. Her team became 16-time champions of Czechoslovakia among 16 teams that were playing standing volleyball at that time. Here players were core players when Czechoslovakia’s and Slovakia’s national team were formed.

“My players throughout my career as a coach (1971 to the present) had the greatest influence on me and my development. They were my inspiration and motivation to develop myself as a coach. I always wanted to give them my best knowledge. Among other international coaches I would like to pick up Polish coach Zigmund Gora and German coach Athanasios Papageorgiou.”

Event involvement:

Team Czechoslovakia

1989 Poland – European Championships – 4th place
1990 France – World Championships – Bronze Medal
1991 European Championships – Bronze Medal
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games – Bronze Medal

Team Slovakia

1993 France – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1994 Germany – World Championships – 5th place
1995 Poland – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1996 USA – Paralympic Games – Silver Medal
1997 Canada – World Cup – Bronze Medal
1998 Poland – World Championships – Bronze Medal
1999 Laval, Canada – PanAmerican Open & World Cup – Bronze Medal
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games Bronze Medal
2001 Slovakia – World Cup – Gold Medal
2002 Poland – World Championships – Bronze Medal
2003 Greece – World Cup – Gold Medal
2004 Germany – World Championships – Silver Medal
2005 Canada – World Cup Bronze Medal
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships – Bronze Medal
2007 Cambodia – World Cup – Silver Medal
2009 Cambodia – World Cup – Silver Medal
2011 Cambodia – World Cup – 4th Place.

Award received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award (Standing)

Official posts held:

1990 – 2002 – Chairwoman – Slovak Sports Association for the Disabled
2002 – 2007 – Secretary General Slovak Sports Association for the Disabled
1995 – 1999 – Chairwoman Slovak Paralympic Committee
1996 – Chef de Mission Paralympic Games Atlanta

POSTHUMOUS AWARD

HULETT Mike USA (PVPA)

Mike started with WOVD/WPV in 1995 in advance of the Atlanta Paralympics

Event involvement:

1996 USA – Paralympic Games – Men’s Head Coach
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games – Men’s Head Coach
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – Women’s Head Coach – Bronze Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – Women’s Head Coach – Silver Medal
1998 Iran – World Championships – Men’s Head Coach
2002 Egypt – World Championships – Men’s Head Coach
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships – Women’s Head Coach – Silver Medal
1999 ParaPan American Games – Head Coach
2003 Argentina – ParaPan American Games Head Coach
2007 Brazil – ParaPan American Games – Head Coach – Silver Medal

Mike Hulett was an International Coach from 1996-2008 and worked in the field of Administration (Governance) from 2001-2010.

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Posthumous Recognition Award
Friar Award – USA Volleyball’s highest honor for a lifetime of service – George Fisher Leader in Volleyball

Official posts held:

Great Lakes Junior Boys Director & Board of Directors
Chair of Disabled Sports for USA Volleyball
World ParaVolley ParaVolley Pan America President
Member of the World ParaVolley Board of Directors

In 2003, Hulett helped form the USA women’s sitting volleyball team. After some early struggles in international competition, he developed his players into a team of medal winners. He guided the squad to the bronze medal at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, which led to him being selected the 2004 US Olympic Committee Paralympic Coach of the Year.

From that point on, the USA women’s sitting volleyball team has proven to be a world power through increased recruiting and international competition. He led the USA team to a silver medal finish at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in China.

Around his coaching, Hulett served on the Great Lakes Region Board of Directors. He represented the Great Lakes Region for junior boys volleyball at USA Volleyball meetings. Hulett was presented the Junior Volleyball Outstanding Clinician award in 1997. In 2001, USA Volleyball honored him with its George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball award.

Hulett owned and operated his own junior volleyball club named Adversity VBC, a club he founded in 1997 which included an eight-court volleyball facility in Chicago’s northern suburbs.

Adversity is the perfect name for his club as it tells his life story in a nutshell. Hulett endured so much in his own life and still continued to be a mentor, leader and example to all of overcoming adversity. Through it all, it is said Hulett cried just once – when he realized that he would never play volleyball again.

Hulett was selected as USA Volleyball’s 2012 Harold T. Friermood “Frier” Award recipient for lifetime achievement. The Frier Award is the highest honor USA Volleyball can bestow on an individual.

He also served as the Chair of ParaVolley Pan America for a number of years and sat on the Board of Directors for World ParaVolley as well. He passed away on 9 May 2019.

“I have known Mike since playing against him in men’s Open level USAV competition before diabetes forced all his limbs to be amputated. I mentored him as a coach for over 20 years, running/hosting Coach Education at his Adversity Volleyball program and nationally.

“He took on leadership tasks for USA Volleyball for 20 plus years and with World ParaVolleyP for over a decade as ParaPanAm Chair/President with significant impact and growth in both areas – his impact still reverberates in both organizations posthumously.

“Mike was THE Disabled Sports voice and best representative for USA and as a quad amputee, internationally as well.”

– John Kessel

JASINSKI Dariusz – POL (PVE)

Having been an FIVB Referee since 1994, Dariusz started with WOVD/WPV in Sarajevo (BIH) in 1999 when he was a candidate for the WOVD International Referee Course. He took the course because he wanted to share his FIVB experience for the benefit of both standing and sitting volleyball. It was a very good decision.

Those who influenced his development include Janusz Kolodziejczyk, a WOVD international referee who introduced him to volleyball for people with a physical impairment – first standing and later sitting; Denis Le Breuilly who introduced him to volleyball for disabled at international level and acquainted him with the possibilities of activity in this sport in the future, after which provided him with a different point view of sitting volleyball. Gaby Lotan also gave him valuable advice on how he could improve his refereeing. It proved very important during his journey to the highest level of competition and medal matches.

WOVD/WPV International Referee 1999 – 2014: WOVD Referee Course passed in 1999 in Sarajevo
World ParaVolley Referee Observer 2015 until present. Referee Observer Course passed in 2015 in Elblag/Poland

Event involvement:

2009 – Elblag/POL – European Championships – International Referee
2010 – Oklahoma/USA – World Championships – International Referee
2011 – Cambodia – World Cup Standing – International Referee
2012 – London/GB – Paralympics – International Referee
2013 – Elblag/POL – European Championships – International Referee
2014 – Elblag/POL – World Championships – International Referee
2015 – Warrendorf/GER – European Championships – Referee Observer
2017 – Porec/CRO – European Championships – Referee Observer
2018 – The Netherlands – World Championships – Referee Observer
2019 – Lima/PER – Parapan American Games – Referee Observer
2019 – Budapest/HUN – European Championships – Referee Observer
2021 – Kemer/TUR – European Championships – Referee Observer
2021 – Tokyo/JPN – Paralympic Games – Referee Observer

There were many other competitions in Europe and Poland at which he was appointed as Referee or Referee Observer.

In addition to Referee activities he has worked in the fields of (i) event organisation (2005-2014) – preparing Championship and Cup competitions in Poland and supporting IKS ATAK Elblag during their preparations for ParaVolley Europe Championships (2013) and World ParaVolley World Championships (2014), (ii) media – as a journalist, since 1999 for the magazine “Polish Volleyball”, producing numerous articles about sitting volleyball, as well as articles for some websites.

Developed the first version of the World ParaVolley Rules of the Game Casebook in 2016 and 2019
Prepared first ever in sitting volleyball – PVR Video Challenge System Regulations during ParaVolley Europe European Championships in Kemer (TUR)
Assisted Georgian Sitting Volleyball Federation
World ParaVolley Tutor – Level 1 Referee Course in Kazakhstan 2017
As President of Darpol provided and prepared volleyball equipment /buzzers for the Paralympic Games in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award
Highest Award in Polish Volleyball: “Medal for outstanding merits in volleyball development
Polish Volleyball Gold Badge
Mayor of town Bydgoszcz special medal for outstanding merits for Bydgoszcz City

Official posts held:

World ParaVolley Referee Commission Member
World ParaVolley FIVB Liaison
World ParaVolley Rules of the Game Committee Member
ParaVolley Europe Referee Commission Member
Referee Coordinator in volleyball for disabled in Poland

POSTHUMOUS

KALINA Eliezer ISR (PVE)

Eliezer started playing standing volleyball in 1974 after a war injury he sustained at the age of 25.

Event involvement as a player, captain (1976-2000) and coach (1976-1980):

1976 Germany – Informal World Championships – Gold Medal
1976 Toronto – Paralympic Games – Gold Medal
1979 The Netherlands – Informal World Championships – Gold Medal
1980 The Netherlands – Paralympic Games
1984 Long Island, USA – Paralympic Games – Gold Medal
1985 Norway – European Championships – Silver Medal
1986 Israel – World Championships – Silver Medal
1987 France – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1988 Seoul, Korea – Paralympic Games – Silver Medal
1989 Poland – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1989 USA – World Championships – Silver Medal
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games
1996 Atlanta, USA – Paralympic Games
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games

Awards received:

3 Paralympic Gold Medals
1 Paralympic Silver Medal
2 World Championship Gold Medals
2 World Championship Silver Medals
3 European Championships Gold Medals

KARSH Zvi – ISR (PVE)

Zvi started playing standing volleyball in Israel in 1972 following a war injury at the age of 27. He played until 2002. The person who was most influential in his development was his national team coach Eliyahu RABINA.

Event involvement:

1976 Germany – Informal World Championships – Gold Medal
1976 Toronto – Paralympic Games – Gold Medal
1979 The Netherlands – Informal World Championships – Gold Medal
1980 The Netherlands – Paralympic Games
1983 The Netherlands – European Championships – Gold Medal
1984 Long Island, USA – Paralympic Games – Gold Medal
1985 Norway – European Championships – Silver Medal
1986 Israel – World Championships – Silver Medal
1987 France – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1988 Seoul, Korea – Paralympic Games – Silver Medal
1989 Poland – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1989 USA – World Championships – Silver Medal
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games
1996 Atlanta, USA – Paralympic Games
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games

Awards received:

2 Paralympic Gold Medals
1 Paralympic Silver Medal
1 World Championship Gold Medal
2 World Championship Silver Medals
2 European Championship Gold Medals

KERESTECIYAN Saro – CAN (PVPA)

Saro started his involvement in WOVD as the Athletic therapist for the Canadian Standing Volleyball Team in 1998.

“I had an interest in Volleyball and Disabled Sport, and when the Team came to Montreal for a training camp, I met with the Team Manager (Lawrence Flynn) and through discussions, got involved with Standing Volleyball. I accompanied the team to their tournament in Olsztyn, Poland where I had my first introduction to classification and started my journey as a classifier at that time. I was with the Team until the Sydney Paralympics where Canada won the silver medal.

“Unfortunately standing was removed from the Games after Sydney. Since that time, I have continued my journey and helped in development of the classification processes for sitting volleyball, put together (along with a group of senior classifiers) the classification for Beach ParaVolley and continue to work as the data manager today.

“Lawrence Flynn was my first “mentor” to the sport. Through the years he showed and taught me what Standing and Sitting Volleyball was all about and I learned to love the sport disciplines more and more over the years.

Event involvement:

TEAM THERAPIST:

July 1998 – Olsztyn, Poland – World Championships (Team Therapist and Classifier Candidate)
June 1999 – Laval, Quebec – Paralympic Qualifier (Team Therapist and Classifier Candidate – Obtained International Classification at that time)
June 2000 – Paralympic Preparation Tournament – Wisla, Poland (Team Therapist)August 2000 – Sydney Paralympic Games – Team Canada Therapist

CLASSIFIER:

1999 Southern Cross Games – Australia
3 Paralympic Games: 2004, 2008, 2012
2015 Toronto Parapan Am Games
2017 Porec, Croatia – PVE Championships
2020 Halifax, Canada – Final Tokyo Qualifier for Women & mentor for Chief C.

CHIEF CLASSIFIER:

2003 Rhodes, Greece, World Championships of Standing Volleyball (Asst Chief)
2003 Argentina
2016 Anji China – Intercontinental Cup
2019 Peru, Pan Am Games
Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

MEDICAL CLASSIFIER INSTRUCTOR:

1999 – Sydney
2003 – Cuba
2006 – Kuala Lumpur
2008 – Shanghai
2018 – Costa Rica

CHIEF CLASSIFIER INSTRUCTOR:

2021 – Halifax, Canada (Tokyo 2020 Women’s Last Chance Qualifier)

Data Manager and PVSAS Administrator for World ParaVolley – 2008 until present

Assisted the recruitment for a World ParaVolley Anti-Doping Manager

• Worked in the fields of Classification and Medical (1998 – present), Event Organisation (2003 – Present) and Administration/Governance (2008 – present)

Awards received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award

“Saro ‘s contributions to World ParaVolley are many, including his ongoing management of the Classification Master List and ParaVolley Sport Administration System database, his commitment to developing a Beach ParaVolley (standing) classification system and rules with the Beach Commission, his leadership within the Classification Commission by taking on Chief Classifier roles, educator and mentoring roles, as well as a role as Head of Classification for the Pan American Zone.

“Saro accepted and was appointed as the Medical Commissioner for the Pan America Zone in February 2018. He immediately stepped up and provided immeasurable service in providing classification information to at the time non-members in the zone.”

– President of ParaVolley PanAmerica Joe Campbell on Saro’s contribution within the PanAmerica Zone

During his time as PVPA Medical Commissioner he has been instrumental in helping eight new member nations with classification information to include the recruitment of 23 classifiers who have entered Level 1 classification training.

“As part of the classification team, Saro’s organizational skills are outstanding, and his attention to detail and willingness to help others has always made the job easier for the people working with him. Saro always says ‘Yes, I can do that’ and this passion for helping other volunteers complete the task at hand makes him a welcome addition to any ITO competition team.

“His good sense of humor and hard work ethic also make it a pleasure to work with him at any task. Saro has allowed World ParaVolley to grow with the data privacy requirements, achieve and model excellence to other classifiers in his duties as a Chief Classifier, and encourage other classifiers to move along the certification pathway.”

– Louise Ashcroft – World ParaVolley Medical Director

KESIENE Jurate – LTU (PVE)

Jurate’s first involvement was hosting a clinic for classifiers in 1997 in Tallinn (Estonia). It was to help the Lithuanian team to understand the classification process and to give them advice on classification matters when needed. She became an International Classifier in 1999 in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Numerous people greatly influenced her development in different ways:

Jūratė Verbuvienė with her commitment to Parasport
Cristina Riera – former WOVD Board Member, Medical Director, Head of Classification and educator, who involved her in International Classification
Pavel Mustafins – Former Chair of WOVD Medical Commission who included her in the classification committee;
Louise Ashcroft, WPV Medical Director by her example and leadership
Denis Le Breuilly and Barry Couzner with their support and influence on his development
Jenni Cole – International Classifier and educator for standing and sitting volleyball
Other World ParaVolley members

Event involvement:

1997 – Tallinn/Estonia – European Championships – Trainee Classifier
1999 – Sarejevo/Bosnia and Herzegovina – Achieved International Classifier status
2006 – Triple World Championship Roermond, Netherlands – Trainee for Standing Volleyball
Attended many events in Europe, and then Iran, Egypt, etc.
2010 – World Championships in Oklahoma, USA – Classifier
2014 – World Championships in Elblag, Poland – Chief Classifier
2014 – Asian Para Games in Incheon, Korea – Chief Classifier
2016 – World ParaVolley Intercontinental in Anji, China – Classifier
2016 – Rio Paralympic Games, Brazil – Chief Classifier
2017 – European Championship in Porec, Croatia – Classifier
2018 – Subzonal event, Pajulahti Games, Finland – Educator and Classifier
2018 – European Sub-Zonal event, Hungary, Chief Classifier
2018 – Final WC Qualifier, Korea – Educator and Classifier
2018 – World Championships, The Netherlands – Chief Classifier
2018 – Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia – Classifier
2019 – Asian Zonal Championships in Bangkok, Thailand – Classifier
2019 – European Championship in Budapest, Hungary – Classifier
2019 – Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru – Classifier
2019 – World Super 6 (Women) in Tokyo, Japan – Educator and Classifier
2020 – Educator in on-line courses for level 1 and level 2 classifiers

Awards received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award

Official post held:

Head of Classification for World ParaVolley 2014-2021

“Jurate has led the Classification Commission during times of significant change – changes in the IPC classification Code and as a result, changes in our WPV classification rules, and changes in personnel across all zones.  Jurate, despite having a busy medical practice at a University Hospital Rehabilitation centre and Vilnius University (Lithuania), has found the time to commit to the ever-increasing number of competitions, filling in where the need lies to fill spots in classification panels.

“She has provided expertise as the lead of the Classification Eligibility Committee, putting in hours of work ahead of competitions reviewing many medical reports and corresponding with athletes & teams with information to assist them to go through the classification evaluation process more smoothly.

“She has represented World ParaVolley at the IPC Head of Classification Meetings, leading by example and providing valuable insight both to IPC and to World ParaVolley about classification in ParaVolley. She was able to explain to the IPC Classification Commission during our Compliance Review why it was important for WPV to keep athletes with upper limb impairments as well as lower limb impairments in our sport, showing her commitment to keeping our sport inclusive. She participated in the first intentional misrepresentation hearing panel for our sport, helping to ensure that integrity is upheld in ParaVolley sport disciplines.

“She has been an educator, a mentor, and a great support to me as Medical Director for WPV.  I have been fortunate to have a strong team of classifiers to support me in my role, and Jurate has been invaluable as a resource, a mentor and teacher, and a role model to all classifiers.”

– Louise Ashcroft – World ParaVolley Medical Director

KLEIN Frits – NED (PVE)

Frits first started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in 1986 when he took the International Referee Course (ISOD) in Hungary and refereed until 2007.

Event involvement:

1986 – World Championships, Pécs, Hungary
1987 – Euro Cup, Enschede (NL). (Referee)
1987 – Referee instructor – Zürich (CH)
1988 – International Tournament Budapest (H) (Referee).
1989 – World Championships – Sitting- and Standing – Las Vegas (USA) (Referee)
1990 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1990 – World Games, Assen (NL) (Referee)
1990 – Euro Cup, Nyiregyháza (H) (Referee)
1991 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1991 – Paralympic Qualification Tournament, Nottingham (GB) (Referee)
1991 – International Tournament Cottbus (G) (Referee)
1992 – Paralympic Games – Barcelona, Sitting and Standing Volleyball, (Referee, Observer)
1992 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1992 – International Tournament Hardenberg (NL) (Referee)
1992 – Euro Cup Aalborg (DK) (Referee)
1993 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1993 – Euro Cup, Roosendaal (NL), (Referee and Observer)
1993 -International Tournament Cottbus (G) (Referee)
1994 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1992 – World Championships, Bottrop Sitting and Standing Volleyball (G) (Referee)
1992 – International Tournament Cottbus (G) (Referee)
1995 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1996 DDO (Double Dutch Open), Deventer (NL) (Referee)
1996 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1996 – Paralympic Games, Atlanta (USA) (Competition Manager Sitting and Standing)
1996 – Euro Cup Kristiansand (N) (Referee)
1996 – International Tournament Nienburg (G) (Referee)
1997 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1997 – European Championships, Tallinn, Estonia. (Competition Manager, Observer)
1997 – International Tournament Nienburg (G) (Referee)
1998 Double Dutch Open, Deventer (NL) (Referee)
1998 – World Championships, Tehran, I.R. Iran (Competition Manager)
1998 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1998 – World Championship, Standing Volleyball, Olsztyn, Poland (Competition Manager)
1998 – International Tournament, Cottbus (G) (Referee)
1998 – International Tournament, Nienburg (G) (Referee)
1999 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
1999 – European Championships, Sarajevo (BIH) (Comp. Manager)
1999 – European Cup, Enschede (NL) (Comp. Manager)
1999 – PanAm Standing Volleyball, Montreal (CAN) (Referee)
1999 – International Tournament, Nienburg (G) (Referee)
2000 – Paralympic Preparation Tournament, Nyiregyháza (H) (Referee)
2000 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2000 – Paralympic Games, Sydney, (AUS) (Competition Manager, Jury)
2001 – Euro Cup, De Lutte, (NL) (Competition Manager)
2001 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2002 – World Championships, Cairo, Egypt (Competition Manager)
2002 – Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2003 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2003 – International Tournament, Nienburg (G) (Referee)
2004 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2005 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2006 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)
2007 Werner von Siemens Cup, Hamburg (G) (Referee)

Awards received:

2006 – WOVD “Thank You” Certficate & WOVD Watch

Official posts held:

WOVD Competition Manager
WOVD Webmaster 1987-2004
WOVD Referee Commission & European Referee Commission 1990-2004

KONČNIK Peter – SLO (PVE)

Peter started refereeing sitting volleyball in Slovenia in 1987, after being a player for the Jesenice Volleyball Club and for the Slovenian and Yugoslav national youth teams (1968-1975). He was also an FIVB referee (1976-2007), refereeing over 1000 matches.

He became involved in International sitting volleyball when he participated in the International Referee course in Tel Aviv in 1988. Course leader was Herman Arno, with Lotan Gaby and Radi Gyula.

It was really Anita and Adolf Urnaut Volleball of club Samorastnik (SLO) who encouraged him to join in the sport.

Event involvement:

Referee:

Paralympic Games:

1992 Paralympics in Barcelona
1996 Paralympics in Atlanta – 1st Referee for Gold Match
2004 Paralympics in Athens

World Championships, Zonal Championships and Eurocups

1993 European Championships, sitting, men and woman, Jarvenpaa, Finland
1995 European Championships, sitting, men and woman, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1997 European Championships, sitting men and woman, Tallinn, Estonia
1999 European Championships, sitting men and woman, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
2001 European Championships, sitting men and woman, Lappeenranta, Finland
2002 World Championships, sitting, men, Cairo, Egypt
2003 World Championships, standing Rhodes, Greece
2007 Parapan American Games in Brasil, final match as an International Referee (Reached age limit of 55years)

Referee Delegate or Observer:

2008 Paralympics in Beijing
2008 WOVD Intercontinental Cup – M/W Ismailia Egypt
2009 WOVD World Cup – Standing Volleyball, men, Cambodia
2009 ECH M/W Elblag (POL)
2009 Junior World Championships , Mashhad, Iran
2010 World Championships, Port Said, Egypt
2011 World Championships, Oklahoma, USA
2011 European Championships, W/M, Rotterdam
2011 EuroCup, Elblag, Men
2012 Intercontinental Cup, Cairo, Egypt
2012 Paralympic Games, London
2014 World Championships, Elblag, Poland
2014 World Championships, Mashhad, Iran
2015 European Championships, W, Podčetrtek, Slovenia
2016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2017 European Championships, Poreč, Croatia
2017 World Super 6 ,Hangzhou, China
2021 European Championships, Kemer, Turkey

Awards received:

2007 WOVD award for long referee career
Slovenian National Sport Award – Bloudek Plaque for life time participation in sport

Official post held:

WOVD/WPV Referee Commissioner – Chief Observer
CEV Referee Commissioner

Besides being a referee on the international level, Peter contributed a lot to sitting volleyball by taking part in several developmental events at the European level and in the Balkans, providing training courses for referees. He participated in the group for promotion of volleyball for women.

“Having Peter Končnik, a very successful FIVB referee, the level and recognition of sitting volleyball and volleyball for the disabled was raised considerably. Peter was the bridge between disabled and able-bodied volleyball organisation and contributed considerably to the recognition of European ParaVolley and World ParaVolley.

“He was a referee in several final matches of the biggest event, but he always took care that volleyball was the main focus of the game. He earned the respect of players, coaches and officials.”

– Anita Goltnik-Urnaut – Former Acting WOVD President

KRAGELNIK Davorin – SLO (PVE)

Davorin Kragelnik started his involvement in sitting volleyball at the Centre for Disabled Youth in Kamnik, Slovenia.

In 1981 he was selected for the Yugoslavian national volleyball team and took part in the World Championships in Germany. After returning from the World Championships a sitting volleyball team was founded on his initiative, at the club ISD Samorastnik. From 1985 to 1990 he was captain of the national team of Yugoslavia, and from 1991 to 2001 captain of the Slovenian national team.

He participated in two Paralympic games (1984 and 1988), in six World Championships and won 2 medals: silver in Kristiansand 1985 and bronze in Assen, 1990. He participated in 7 European championships and won 3 medals: 1983, bronze in Budapest, 1985 silver in Kristiansand and silver in Sarajevo 1987.

Besides being a player, Davorin participated in the organizing committee of several big sitting volleyball events on the World level: World Championships for women in Kamnik 2002 (Secretary general) and the First Youth World championships in Kamnik 2005 (Chair of communication).

He also acted as a referee at several international and national sitting volleyball club tournaments.

The people who had the greatest influence on his development were Rajko Vute, who introduced him to sitting volleyball, Peter Ozmec who established the sport club in Ravne with a section for sitting volleyball and international coach Adi Urnaut.

Event involvement:

For Yugoslavia:

1981 Bonn, Germany – World Games for Disabled – 5th place
1982 Delden, The Netherlands – World championships – 4th place
1983 Budapest, Hungary – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1984 New York, USA – Paralympic Games – 5th place
1985 Kristiansand, Norway – World Championships Kristiansand – Silver Medal
1985 Kristiansand, Norway – European Championships – Silver Medal
1986 Pécs , Hungary – World Championships – 4th place
1987 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina – European Championships – Silver Medal
1988 Seoul, Korea – Paralympic Games – 4th place
1989 Slovenia – National Championships of Yugoslavian Republics – Gold Medal
1990 Assen, The Netherlands – World Championships – Bronze Medal

For Slovenia:

1992 Ravne , Slovenia – EuroCup – Club ISD Samorastnik – 5th place
1993 Järvenpää, Finland – European Championship – 6th place
1993 Rosendaal, The Netherlands – Eurocup – 6th place
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships – 7th place
1994 Lappeenranta, Finland – Eurocup – 6th place
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships – 7th place
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands – EuroCup – Club ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1996 Kristiansand, Norway – EuroCup -7th place
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – European Championships – 9 th place
1997 Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary – EuroCup – 9th place
1998 Tehran, Iran – World Championhips – 10th place – Individual award: The most compete player, Member of World “Dream” team
1998 Osijek, Croatia – EuroCup – 7th place – Best Setter
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina – European Championships
1999 Enschede, The Netherlands – EuroCup – 9th place – Best Setter
2001 Sarospatak, Hungary – European Championships – 8th place

Awards received:

2001 Award of the Slovenian Association for Disabled Sports at the end of his sport career
2019 The award of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem for work in sport for the disabled

Official posts held:

Member of Executive Board and other bodies of ISD Samorastnik Ravne from 1981

After his retirement from playing, Davorin Kragelnik was very active in working to provide equal rights for athletes with physical impairments. He motivated many young people to join sitting volleyball teams and contributed to the development of sitting volleyball in Slovenia and neighbouring (ex-Yugoslavian) countries.

POSTHUMOUS

LYSE Kåre – NOR (PVE)

Kare starting playing sitting volleyball in 1971, and being an important player for his club team, the national team events in which he was involved in:

1978 Nordic Championship
1980 Arnhem, The Netherlands – Paralympic Games
1981 Bonn, Germany – European Championships
1982 Nordic Championships
1983 Delden, The Netherlands – European Championships
1985 Kristiansand, Norway – European and World Championships
1986 Pecs, Hungary – World Championships
1987 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia – European Championships
1988 Seoul, South-Korea – Paralympic Games
1989 Las Vegas, USA – World Championships
1990 Assen, The Netherlands – World Championships
1991 Nottingham, Great Britain – European Championships
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games
1993 Järvenpää, Finland – European Championships
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships
1996 Atlanta, USA – Paralympic Games
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – European Championships

Kåre Lyse was an active athlete for almost 30 years and played on the national team for almost 20 years. He was an inspiration to young players, encouraging them to increase their training and to develop their skills. Before 1997 he was also involved with event management.

Awards received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award

MANNERSUO Sari Anneli – FIN (PVE)

Having previously refereed volleyball since 1980, Sari started internationally with sitting volleyball in 2003 when he took the International Referee Course in Riga, Latvia in 2002.

Event involvement:

Referee:

2003 Germany – World Cup
European Championships (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 (men), 2017
2004 Unofficial women national team tournament in Holland
Paralympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016,2020/21
EuroCups – men (2004,2006, 2007) and women (2009)
2005 Bosnia & Herzegovina – World Cup
World Championships (2006,2010,2014)
Intercontinental Cup Egypt (2008, 2010, 2012)
2011 Kigali, Rwanda -African Zonal Championships – Qualifier for London
2014 South Korea – Asian ParaGames
2014 Unofficial women national team tournament in Moscow
Also, many times in Hamburg and Copenhagen club tournaments as referee

Referee Delegate:

2008 Hungary – EuroCup (men)
2010 Hungary – EuroCup (men)
2011 Hungary – EuroCup (men)
2011 Ukraine EuroCup (women)

Assistant Referee Delegate:

2006 Hungary – Junior tournament
2007 Hungary – European Championships

Referee observer (Qualified 2011 – Sarajevo):

2015 Slovenia – European Championship (women)
2018 The Netherlands – World Championship (women)
2019 Hungary – European Championship
2021 Turkey – European Championships – Referee Observer and Jury Member

Awards received:

2020 – World ParaVolley Recognition Award
2004 – 2010 Six times Finnish sitting volleyball Referee of the Year

Official Posts held:
2005 – 2019 Member of European Referee Commission
2007 – present Member of the Sitting volleyball Sport Commission in Finland
2011-2020 Finland – Sitting volleyball Manager and personnel trainer at Pajulahti Games

Since 2000 Finland – Referee trainer

MANO Yoshihisa – JPN (PVAO)

Mano discovered sitting volleyball by chance in November 1996 when he was working at the Tokyo Para Sports Centre. Since then he says he has been inspired by World ParaVolley athletes and staff.

Event involvement:

2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games – 9th place – Men’s Head Coach
2002 Slovenia – World Championships – 6th place – Women’s Head Coach
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – 7th place – Men’s Head Coach
2006 The Netherlands – World Championships – 7th place – Women’s Head Coach
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – 8th place – Women’s Head Coach
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – 9th place – Women’s Head Coach
2010 Guangzhou, China – Asian Para Games – Silver Medal – Women’s Head Coach
2012 London – Paralympic Games – 7th place – Women’s Head Coach
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Championships – 9th place – Women’s Head Coach
2014 Incheon, Korea – Asian Para Games Bronze Medal – Women’s Head Coach
2018 The Netherlands – World Championships – 10th place – Women’s Head Coach
2018 Jakarta, Indonesia – Asian Para Games – Bronze Medal – Women’s Head Coach
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Paralympic Games – 8th place – Women’s Head Coach

As President of the Japan ParaVolley Association Yoshihisa Mano has been involved in numerous fields of sitting volleyball, including playing (1997-2010), then coaching, administration (governance), event organisation and sponsorship, all since 1997. At the national level he has also been involved in classification, anti-doping, research and refereeing. Over 25 years he has built a management system and been responsible for the development of sitting volleyball in Japan and the nation’s image within World ParaVolley. He has worked closely with other Asian nations, such as China and Korea, sharing technical and other information, as well as participating in numerous friendly matches.

MURULO Toomas EST (PVE)

Toomas started with WOVD/WPV in Tallinn in 1997 at the WOVD European Championship as a member of the Local Organising Committee with responsibility in refereeing matters. In the same year he passed the International Referee course.

“The first person who invited me to this sport was Mrs Signe Falkenberg (now general secretary of Estonian Paralympic Committee), after that refereeing tutors Gerard Browers, Denis Le Breuilly and Gabi Lotan contributed to my development.”

Event involvement as an International Referee (1997-2021) and an International Referee Observer (2017 until present):

1997 Tallinn,Estonia – WOVD European Championships – LOC Referee Manager
2001 Puchov,Slovakia – WOVD World Cup Standing – Referee
2003 Lappeenranta,Finland – European Championships – Referee
2004 Tripoli,Libya – AACVD (Afro-Arab) Championships – Referee
2005 Leverkusen, Germany – European Championships – Referee
2006 Roermond,The Netherlands -Triple World Championships – Referee
2006 Nyiregyhaza,Hungary – EuroCup – Referee
2007-Nyiregyhaza,Hungary – European Championships – Referee
2007 Phnom Penh, Cambodia – WOVD Standing World Cup – Referee
2008 Kotka,Finland – Kotka Sitting Tournament – Referee
2009 Kotka,Finland – Kotka Sitting Tournament – Referee
2009 Elblag,Poland – European Championships – Referee
2009 Mashhad,Iran – WOVD 1st Junior World Championship – Referee
2010 Evpatorya,Ukraine – European 1st Continental Cup (Women) – Referee
2010 Oklahoma,USA – WOVD World Championships – Referee
2010 Nyiregyhaza,Hungary – Euro Cup – Referee
2011 Kettering, Great Britain – European Continental Cup – Referee
2011 Evpatorya,Ukraine – European 2nd Continental Cup (Women) – Referee
2011 Rotterdam,The Netherlands – European Championships – Referee
2012 London,Great Britain – Paralympic Games – Referee
2014 Elblag,Poland – World Championships – Referee
2015 Elblag,Poland – Qualified at WPV Referee Observers Course – Assistant Tutor at WPV International Referee Candidate Course
2015 Warendorf,Germany – European Championships – Referee
2016 Anji,China – World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup – Referee
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Paralympic Games – Referee
2017 Porec,Croatia – European Championships – Referee
2018 Jeju,Korea – World Championship Qualification – Referee Observer
2018 Venlo,The Netherlands, – World Championships – Referee
2019 Budapest/,Hungary – European Championships – Referee Observer
2021 Tokyo,Japan – Paralympic Games – Referee
2021 Kemer,Turkey – European Championships – Referee Observer and World ParaVolley L2 International Referee Candidate Course assistant tutor.

Other roles:

2007 to present – referee at Tallinn, Estonia International tournaments (organized in May every year)
2019 Participating as a lecturer on the ParaVolley Europe development project Sit2Play for school physical education teachers to provide them with an introduction to Paravolley and the Rule differences from Volleyball.
2019 Prepared educational materials – Referee Casebook – for World ParaVolley

Awards received:

2020 – World ParaVolley Recognition Award for Refereeing

Official posts:

Member of ParaVolley Europe Referee Commission since 2019
European Volleyball Confederation Supervisor since 2020
Referee Commission member of Estonian Volleyball Federation (2003-2019) responsible for referee training and development

In 2019 his lobby work in Estonia finally succeeded – the Estonian Volleyball Federation together with the Estonian Paralympic Committee agreed to join the World Paravolley family in 2020 and started preparing a men’s national team to participate at ParaVolley Europe competitions.

OZMEC Peter – SLO (PVE)

Beside being an athlete, Peter has coached the men’s national sitting volleyball team, acted as team manager and assistant coach of the women’s national sitting volleyball team and organised several big sitting volleyball events, starting in 1982 with national team competition of Yugoslavian Republics and on the European level with organising Eurocup 1992.

Most influential people in his involvement with sitting volleyball:

Rajko Vute, the sport education teacher in the Centre for Disabled Youth in Kamnik, who introduced sitting volleyball to the students

Davorin Kragelnik and Vlado Homan, Yugoslavian national team players for which he was trying to provide excellent conditions for training and competing

Adi Urnaut, elite-level player and coach, who became a coach of ISD Samorastnik first and later the national team

Anita Goltnik Urnaut, who was playing sitting volleyball in a mixed team and was eager to establish national and club level women’s teams

Together with those people he worked on the promotion of sitting volleyball and event organisation on the national, zonal and world level.

Event involvement:

1981 Zagreb, Croatia – International Tournament – player
1982 National league, Slovenia player, National Championships of Yugoslavia, event-organizer
1984 – 1991 National championships, player, international competition, event-organizer
1992 Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia -European Club Championships – player – 5th place
1993 Järvenpää, Finland, European Championship – player – 6th place
1993 Rosendaal, The Netherlands – EuroCup – player – 6th place
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships (men) – player – 7th place
1994 Lappenranta, Finland – EuroCup – player – 6th place
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships – Coach (men) – 7th place – (women) – Bronze Medal
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands – EuroCup – Coach ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1996 Kristiansand, Norway – EuroCup – Coach ISD Samorastnik – 7th plac
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – EuroCup – Coach (women) – Silver Medal
1997 Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary – EuroCup – Coach ISD Samorastnik – 9th place
1998 Osijek, Croatia – EuroCup – Coach ISD Samorastnik – 7th place
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina – European Championships – Coach (women) Gold Medal
1999 Enschede, The Netherlands – EuroCup – Coach ISD Samorastnik – 9th place
2000 Maastricht, The Netherlands – World Championships – Coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2001 Sarospatak, Hungary – European Championships – Coach (women) – Silver Medal
2002 Kamnik, Slovenia – World Championships – Coach (women) – Silver Medal
2002 Riga, Latvia – EuroCup – Coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2003 Lappeenranta, Finland – European Championships – Coach (women) – Silver Medal
2004 Athens, Greece -Paralympic Games – Coach (women) – 4th place
2005 Leverkusen, Germany -European Championships – Coach (women) Bronze Medal
2005 Kamnik, Slovenia – World Youth Championships – Coach (men) – 6th place
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships – Coach (women)– Bronze Medal
2007 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – European Championships – Coach (women)– Bronze Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – Coach (women) – 4th place
2009 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – European Championships – Coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – Coach (women) – 5th place
2010 Port Said, Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – Coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2011 Rotterdam, The Netherlands -European Championships – Coach (women) – 4th place,
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – Assistant Coach (women) – 6th place
2013-> National Championships, International Competitions, Event Organizer

Peter Ozmec has made an outstanding contribution to sitting volleyball as a player (1981-2008), coach (1990-2012), team manager, event-organiser and promoter (1982 to present), and in the fields of administration and government, development of sitting volleyball for women and the promotion of volleyball for disabled in Eastern Europe, Europe and worldwide.

Awards received:

2021 The highest Slovenian National sport award: Bloudek award for life-time work in sport
2020 Recognition Award by the World Para Volleyball Organisation for his outstanding contribution to the promotion and development of sitting volleyball in the Balkans, Europe and the World as a coach, player and organiser of international competitions
2012 Award of the Slovenian Association for Disabled Sports for many years of successful coaching work
2006 Recognition of the World Organisation of Volleyball for Disabled Persons for successful development and organisational work

2002 WOVD Recognition of contribution to development of sitting volleyball
1999 Bronze Badge of the Slovenian Association of Disabled Workers
1995-2009 Silver and bronze awards from the Slovenian Association of Disabled Sports for coaching achievements
1993 National sport award: Bloudek plaque for organisational work in disability sport
1992 The golden plaque of the Sports Federation Ravne na Koroškem for the activity and development of sport in the municipality of Ravne na Koroškem
1989 The silver plaque of the Association of Physical Culture Organisations of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem for services to the development of physical culture in the municipality of Ravne na Koroškem
1986 The Order of Merit for the Nation with the Silver Star of the SFR Yugoslavia
1986 The gold plaque of the Association for Recreation and Sport of Disabled Persons of Yugoslavia

Official posts held:

President of Slovenian Federation for sport of disabled
President of the Federation of Disabled Sports of Slovenia (National Paralympic Committee) (1990-1995)
Chair of competition commission (1988-1999)
President of commission for Workers’ Self-Government (1984-1988)
Disabled sport club Samorastnik, Ravne na Koroškem: President (1979-2012), Honorary President 2013->
Member of Commission for EuroLeague

“Peter Ozmec has made a significant contribution to the development and success of sport for the disabled over the past 60 years, especially for sitting volleyball in Carinthia, Slovenia, ex-Yugoslavian countries, Europe and in the world.

“He established the sport club ISD Samorastnik and acted as its president for 30 years. He is now Honorary President and still a member of the Executive Board. He organized 2 World Championships (Women 2002 and Youth 2005), European Championships for men and women 1995, Eurocup 1991 and many tournaments of EuroLeague and other international competitions.

“Although Slovenia has already qualified for the European Championships, he organized the qualification event to give countries who just started the sport the opportunity to develop.”

– Anita Goltnik-Urnaut – Former Interim President of WOVD

PLEŠNIK Janko -SLO (PVE)

Janko started in Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia in 1992 at a European club tournament. For him it was, and still is today, amazing to see how hard people with a physical impairment work for each point and express so much emotion when celebrating. After that he became part of this family.

Those who had the greatest influence on his development as a referee were Gaby Lotan and Gerard Brouwers.

Event involvement:

Referee (from 1995 – 2018):

4 Paralympic Games – three Gold Finals (sitting), one Bronze Final (standing)
World Championships (many sitting + 3 x standing)
More than 10 x Zonal Championships – across the Zones
3x Parapan American Games
FESPIC Games
World Cups, Euro Cups – Clubs, Super 6, national tournaments

Referees Delegate – since 2005, Sarajevo EuroCup
Referees Observer – since 2010, Oklahoma, USA – World Championships
Referees Course Conductor – Lead and Assistant
Competition Manager – WC Sitting VB Women Kamnik, Slovenia 2002

Posts currently held:

World ParaVolley International Referee Delegate and Observer
World ParaVolley Senior Staff Tutor – International Course Conductor
World ParaVolley Referees Commission Member
World ParaVolley Rules Committee – Team Leader (Chair)
ParaVolley Europe Referees Commission Member

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball Recognition Award
2021 World ParaVolley Standing Volleyball Recognition Award
Plaque of recognition for the contribution to sitting volleyball from sport club ISD Samorastnik , Slovenia at 30 anniversary of the club

PROBST Anton GER (PVE)

Anton started with WOVD at the World Championships (Standing) in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1986. It was his first international match as a player for Germany – Bronze Medal.

Fritz Klein (NL) had the greatest influence on his development as a referee. He was his tutor at his first Hamburg tournament in 1987.

Event involvement as referee:

1986 Tel Aviv, Israel – World Championships – National Player for Germany – Bronze Medal
1988 Seoul, Korea -Paralympics Games – National Player for Germany – Gold Medal
1990 Nyreghaza, Hungary – Candidate on International Referee Course – Qualified
1990 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – EuroCup
1991 Nottingham, England – European Championships
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games
1993 Amelie, France – European Championships – National Player for Germany – Gold Medal
1993 Roosendaal, The Netherlands, EuroCup
1993 Bratislava, Slovakia – EuroCup
1994 Lappenranta, Finland – EuroCup
1995 Lubijana, Slovenia – European Championships
1995 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands – EuroCup
1996 Kristiansand, Norway – Euro Cup
1996 Atlanta, USA – Paralympic Games
1998 Olsztyn , Poland – World Championships
1999 Mar del Plata, Argentina – Parapan American Games
1999 Enschede, The Netherlands – EuroCup
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzogovina – European Championships
1999 Laval, Canada – Para PanAmerican Open
2000 Sydney, Australia Paralympic Games
2000 Leverkusen, Germany – EuroCup
2001 De Lutte, The Netherlands – EuroCup
2001 Sarospatak, Hungary – European Championships
2002 Cairo, Egypt – World Championships
2002 Wisla, Poland – World Championships
2002 Riga, Estonia – EuroCup
2003 Leverkusen, Germany – World Cup
2003 LappenRanta, Finland – European Championships
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – Gold Medal match referee
2005 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzogovina – World Cup
2005 Leverkusen, Germany – European Championships
2005 Elblag, Poland – Euro Cup
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships
2006 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Junior World Championships
2006 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – EuroCup
2007 Sheffield, England – International Referee Course – Joint Tutor
2007 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – European Championships
2007 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzogovina – EuroCup
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games
2008 Leverkusen, Germany – Junior European Championships
2008 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – EuroCup
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships
2010 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – EuroCup
2011 Guadalajara, Mexico – Parapan American Games
2011 Rotterdam, The Netherlands – European Championships
2011 Elblag, Poland – EuroCup
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – Gold Medal match referee
2013 Elblag, Poland – European Championships
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Championships
2015 Warendorf, Germany – European Championships
2015 Toronto, Canada – Parapan American Games
2016 Anji, China – World ParaVolley Intercontinental
2016- Rio de Janeiro , Brazil – Paralympic Games – Referee Observer
2017 Kigali, Rwanda – African Zonal Championships
2017 Hangzhou, China – Asia Oceania Zonal Championships
2017 Porec, Croatia – European Championships
2017 Rotterdam, The Netherlands – World Championships – Referee Observer
2019 Budapest , Hungary – European Championships
2021 Duisburg, Germany-Paralympic Qualification Tournament- Referee Observer

Player from 1986-1993 and an International Referee 1990-2015. Refereed at six Paralympic Games, final one being London 2012.

Awards received:

2021 World ParaVolley Recognition Award
Award for special merits in volleyball by the Bavarian Volleyball Association 2021

Official posts held:

WOVD/WPV Referee Commissioner 2004-2010 and 2016-2019
Referee Commissioner Europe (as above)
Head of the referees in Germany since 1992

RAIMONDO Anton RSA (PVA)

Anton started as an athlete in sitting volleyball in 2009 in London, UK. He was passionate about playing the sport and loved the camaraderie, excitement and competitiveness of the game.

He started developing the sport in 2014 first in South Africa, then across Southern Africa and Africa in general. There were a number of reasons – he missed the game after moving to South Africa in 2013. The sport did not exist in Southern Africa and felt there was a great opportunity for physically impaired people to benefit from sitting volleyball. It would uplift players, both physically and psychologically, and there were not many options for team sports in South Africa. Furthermore, he relished the challenge of building a national team and having that team compete in international tournaments.

A number of individuals had a great influence on his development:

Athlete

“In my early years as an athlete, I played a lot with Jabbar Mustafa, the best all-round player in the UK at the time. I was able to benchmark my skills against him and continually improve. I learnt a lot from him.

“Ian LeGrand was my club and national coach and I attribute a lot of skills development to him too. His commitment to the sport and never-ending push for better performance helped me to excel.”

Sports Development

“I received a lot of support and encouragement from Denis Le Breuilly, then sports director for WPV. He was instrumental in providing the first WPV courses in South Africa and later in Zimbabwe. These courses set the foundation for skills development in the region and helped motivate me further to develop the sport in Southern Africa. This led to the formation a Southern African ParaVolley Committee, which I chair. He has always been available for advice and recognised further opportunities where I can contribute to development of the sport, including in a role within Media for World ParaVolley.”

Event involvement as an athlete (2009-2019):

Representing South Africa’s Men’s Team – 7 International Caps

2019 Kigali, Rwanda, – African Championships – 5th Place
2017 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – 6th Place

Representing Great Britain’s Men’s Team – 68 International Caps (Vice-captain)

2013 Poland – European Championships – 8th Place
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games -8th place. First English volleyball team ever to reach quarterfinals
2012 UK National Championships – 1st Place – Captain
2011 Great Britain – Continental Cup – 7th Place. Voted GB Man of the Tournament
2011 The Netherlands – European Championships – 9th Place
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – 17th Place
2009 Poland – European Championships – 10th Place

Roles as a coach (2014-present):

2014 – Present: Cape Town, South Africa – Club Coach for iKapa Storm
2016 South Africa National Club Champions, 1st Place
2017 South Africa National Club Champions, 1st Place
2018 South Africa National Club Champions, 1st Place
2019 South Africa National Club Champions, 1st Place
2017 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – Southern African Club Championships – Bronze Medal
2019 Maputo, Mozambique – Southern African Club Championships Gold Medal
2016 – Present: South African Men’s National Coach
2017 Kigali, Rwanda, African Championships, 6th Place
2019 Kigali, Rwanda, African Championships, 5th Place

He has also worked in the fields of Sports Development since 2015 and Media since 2016

Awards received:

2011 – Guinness Book of Records. Holder for the longest sitting volleyball rally. Set on Trafalgar square, London, UK.
2011 – Voted GB Man of the Tournament. Continental Cup, UK.
2011 – Nienburg, Germany. European Club tournament. Captain of East London Lynx Club. 1st Place win. Best result ever for a Volleyball England club team.
2012 – Member of Volleyball England Hall of Fame. London 2012 Paralympics, UK. First GB volleyball team ever to reach the quarter-finals in an Olympics or Paralympics.
UK Grand Prix Club Tournaments – Medals 2010 Gold, 2011 Silver, 2012 Gold, 2013 Silver

Coaching Certifications:

2010 – London, UK – UKCC Level 1 Coach – certified
2016 – Cape Town, South Africa – World ParaVolley Level 1 Coaching – Certified
2017 – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – World ParaVolley Coaching Tutor – Certified

Official posts held:

2015 – Present : Co-Founder & President of ParaVolley South Africa

Established the official organisation for all ParaVolley Sports in South Africa
Organised all 4 national championships to date
Established 10 + sitting volleyball clubs nationally and growing

2016-present: President of Southern Africa ParaVolley

Organised 3x WPV Level 1 workshops (South Africa 2016, Zimbabwe 2017, Mozambique 2018)
Organised 2x Sub-zonal Club competitions (Zimbabwe 2017, Mozambique 2018)
Established 5 new African nations in sitting volleyball, three of which are WPV members
2016 – Rio, Brazil. Rio Paralympics 2016 – Media Delegate for World ParaVolley
2017-2021 – ParaVolley Africa Board Member, Media and Communications
2016 – Present: South African Men’s National Coach

RIBEIRO Amauri BRA/ITA (PVPA/PVE)

Having been a former volleyball player, Amauri started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in 2004 when he was Invited by the Brazilian Federation of Sitting Volleyball

“The athletes of sitting volley in Brazil had the greatest influence on my development, as did the confidence placed in me by the Brazilian Federation when they appointed me as coach of the Brazilian Men’s National sitting volleyball team in 2004.”

Event involvement:

2007 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Parapan American Games – Coach – Gold Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – 6th place
2009 Elected President of Brazilian Sitting Volleyball Federation
2010 Edmond, USA – World Championships – (men and women) attended as President
2011 Guadalajara, Mexico – Parapan American Games – (men) – Gold Medal
2012 London, England – Paralympic Games – (men and woman) 5th Place in both
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Championships – (men) – Silver Medal
2015 Toronto, Canada – Parapan American Games – (men) – Gold Medal
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Paralympic Games – (women) – Bronze Medal
2017 Appointed by Italy as Technical Director and Coach of the Women’s Team
2018 Rotterdam, The Netherlands – World Championships – (women) – Coach – 4th place
2019 Budapest, Hungary – European Championships – (women) – Coach – Silver Medal
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Paralympic Games – (women) – Coach – 6th place
2021 Antalya, Turkey – European Championships – (women) – Coach – Silver Medal

Coaching 2004 – present.
President of Brazilian Federation from 2009 to 2017

Awards received:

2018 – Best National Paralympic Coach – Italian Paralympic Committee

POSTHUMOUS

RIERA Cristina – ESP (PVE)

Cristina Riera was a specialist doctor of rehabilitation from Barcelona, Spain. She became involved in ParaVolley following her involvement with the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games.

Along with Dr. Aaron Danziger and Pierre Pinelli (1997), Cristina was instrumental in transitioning the ParaVolley classification system from points based to classes of MD/D (sitting) and A,B,C (Standing).

WOVD appointed her as Medical Director and Head of Classification in 1998. Together with Jenni Cole and Saro Keresteciyan, Cristina developed the first ever classification manual and classifier education program in 2001.

She was an international Classifier at the Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) Paralympic Games, and finished her time as Medical Director after the 2006 Triple World Championships in Roermond, The Netherlands.

Cristina was a classifier and Federation Board member of the highest integrity and displayed compassion and professionalism in her work and personal relationships. Cristina passed away in 2018 after a long battle with cancer and left behind husband Dr. Ramon Mirales and son Alexander Mirales Riera.

ROGERS Matthew – GBR (PVE)

Matthew is a Sport Development and Event Manager who specialises in education and digital communication.

He started with World ParaVolley through the GBR National Governing Body as the Sitting Volleyball Development Manager. Then moved to work at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, after which he founded VolleySLIDE – an educational resource for those looking to start Sitting Volleyball.

Gordon Neale OBE acted as his mentor during his time at Volleyball England, after which he thoroughly enjoyed working with Denis Le Breuilly on the 2012 London Games as well as after in a variety of capacities as part of World ParaVolley

Event involvement:

2009 Poland – ParaVolley Europe Zonal Championships – Team Manager
2010 Port Said, Egypt – World ParaVolley World Cup – Team Manager
2010 Edmond, Oklahoma – World Championships – Team Manager
2011 The Netherlands – ParaVolley Europe Zonal Championships – Team Manager
2012 London, Greatr Britain – Paralympic Games – Sport Manager (Organising Committee)
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Championships – World ParaVolley Media Manager

Involvement to the present day has included work in the fields of development, event organisation, technical officiating and consultation, media (since 2013) and coaching.

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award (Sitting) as part of World ParaVolley Day

Official post held:

VolleySLIDE Coordinator

ROSENTHAL Radu – ISR (PVE)

From 1985 Radu had been a referee. In 1986 he was the organiser of the Standing World Championships in Israel. The International Federation President Pieter Joon was very impressed with the organisation and offered him the post of Chairman of the Referee Commission.

Event involvement:

1986 Nominated as Chairman of the Israeli Volleyball Department (Sitting & Standing)
1988 Korea – Paralympic Games – Technical Delegate
1988 – 2000 Active Referee and Chairman of the International Referee Commission. Course Director and Instructure. Responsible for the nomination of referees for events.
1996 – 2000 Worked in the field of research

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award for Sitting Volleyball
2021 World ParaVolley Recognition Award for Standing Volleyball

Official posts held:

1975 – 2000 Chairman of Israeli Referee Committee
1984 – 2000 Chairman of Israeli Referee Committee for Disabled
1986 – 2000 Chairman of ISOD and then WOVD International Referee Commission

“Radu excellently organised the standing volleyball World Championships in Israel and continued supporting standing volleyball activity in the nation. He devoted himself to ParaVolley refereeing worldwide, organising refereeing within ISOD and then WOVD. He started with thirteen referees and increased the number to seventy-two in a short time. The work of the referees under his leadership developed to a high level and was generally appreciated by players, coaches, officials and other stakeholders.”

– Ron Bolotin – Sport Director, Israel Disable Sport Association.

POSTHUMOUS

ROSTRUP Gaute – NOR (PVE)

Gaute began as a sitting volleyball player in 1971

Event involvement:

1978 Nordic Championship
1980 Arnhem, The Netherlands – Paralympic Games
1981 Bonn, Germany – European Championships
1982 Nordic Championship
1983 Delden, The Netherlands – European Championships
1985 Kristiansand, Norway European & World Championships
1986 Pecs, Hungary – World Championships
1987 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia – European Championships
1988 Seoul, South-Korea – Paralympic Games
1989 Las Vegas, USA – World Championships
1990 Assen, The Netherlands – World Championships
1991 Nottingham, Great Britain – European Championships
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games
1993 Järvenpää, Finland – European Championships
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships
1996 Atlanta, USA – Paralympic Games
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – European Championships
1998 Teheran, IR Iran – World Championships
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia I Herzegovina – European Championships

Governance 1991-1999 – Norway

Chair of sitting volleyball section of the Norwegian Sport Association for Disabled
Manager of the national sitting volleyball team.
Head of Delegation in all international events
1971 – 1999 Event Organisation

Award received:

World ParaVolley Recognition Award – Sitting Volleyball

“I knew Gaute Rostrup from the start of my involvement in ParaVolley in 1975. He was one of the those who inspired me to be involved with administrative and technical duties in the sport. Despite his severe handicap, he played in the national team for almost 30 years. In the last 10 years of his involvement in the sport, he was the main administrator of ParaVolley in Norway, as well as team Manager for the National team. His role as administrator for the Norwegian ParaVolley section, which was on a voluntary basis, made a major contribution to the development of ParaVolley in Norway.”

– Toralv Thorkildsen – World ParaVolley Honorary Life Member

SAVELKOUL Gene – NED (PVE)

In 1980 at the Paralympic Games in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Gene had his first introduction to professional sports for disabled people. He started with swimming , then in 1985 he was asked with military officer colleagues to organise the Goalball World Championships. That led to the founding of SPGN (Stichting Promotie Gehandicaptensport Nederland) which he led until 2016, at which time the foundation was dissolved. His whole family was heavily involved in the foundation and its events. SPGN staged five World Championships of five different sports and various European Championships, but mostly sitting volleyball. He promoted and organised many clinics, training on the job, symposia, and other side activities.

After Pierre van Menen left ECVD, now ParaVolley Europe, he was in charge of the zone until 1997. He had been inspired by not only the Paralympic Games in The Netherlands, but also the unforgettable experiences of the Paralympic Games in USA and Australia.

When the Iron Curtain fell, he was allowed to go to countries where he had been banned as a soldier. It turned out that the former Soviet Union had a good organisation for disabled sports. He was then able to work in Latvia and Poland and so on.

Event involvement as SPGN Organiser included the following:

1991 – European Championships – 12 Nations
1995 – European Championships – 12 Nations
1995 – Classifier Clinic -17 Nations
1996 – Symposium Training Managers – 18 Nations
1997 – Donated two sitting volleyball courts – Croatia and Bosnia & Herzogovina
2000 – Sitting World Championships (Women) – 8 Nations
2006 – Triple World Championships (Sitting Men & Women) (Standing Men)

He retired from the military at a relatively young age, so he was able to devote his time to his passion for staging events and he fortunately proved successful in finding sponsors to enable them to happen. Before holding sitting events in Roermond (NED) and being able to accommodate participants in hotels, a character of early events included everyone sleeping in cottages in holiday parks.

People attributed the success of his SPGN events to his military background and experience of staging large scale events. He was fortunate to be able to engage former comrades from the army in important voluntary positions, though he still preferred to check all details himself.

SCHRAPP Juergen – GER (PVE)

Jurgen started to play Sitting Volleyball in 1993 as he couldn’t play Standing Volleyball anymore. He was attracted by the speed and precision of the sport and hasstayed with it ever since.

“The person who had the greatest influence on my development in the sport was Siegmund Soicke. He helped me to move to Leverkusen, find a job and taught me many things about true sportsmanship.”

Event involvement:

1993 Finland – European Championship – 4th place
1994 Finland – EuroCup (Club) – 4th place
1994 Germany – World Championships – 6th place
1995 Netherlands – EuroCup (Club) – Bronze Medal
1995 Slovenia – European Championships – 5th place
1996 Norway – EuroCup (Club) – 5th place
1996 USA – Paralympic Games – 5th place
1997 Hungary – EuroCup (Club) – Gold Medal
1997 Latvia – European Championships – 5th place
1998 Croatia – EuroCup (Club) – Gold Medal
1998 Iran – World Championships – 5th place
1999 The Netherlands – EuroCup (Club) – 5th place
1999 Bosnia i Herzegovina – European Championships – Silver Medal
2000 Germany – EuroCup (Club) – 7th place
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games – 5th place
2001 The Netherlands – EuroCup (Club) – Silver Medal
2001 Hungary – European Championships – Silver Medal
2002 Latvia – EuroCup (Club) – Silver Medal
2002 Egypt – World Championships – Silver Medal
2003 Hungary – EuroCup (Club) – 4th place
2003 Germany – World Club Cup – 6th place
2003 Finland – European Championships – Silver Medal
2004 Germany – EuroCup (Club) – Bronze Medal
2004 Greece – Paralympic Games – 4th place
2005 Bosnia i Herzegovina – World Club Cup – 5th place
2005 Germany – European Championships – Silver Medal
2006 Hungary – EuroCup (Club) – Bronze Medal
2006 The Netherlands – Triple World Championships – 4th place
2007 Bosnia i Herzegovina – EuroCup (Club) – 4th place
2007 Hungary – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2008 Hungary – EuroCup (Club) – 6th place
2009 Poland – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2010 Egypt – World Club Cup – Silver Medal
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – 6th place
2011 Poland – EuroCup (Club) – Bronze Medal
2011 The Netherlands – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – Bronze Medal
2015 Germany – European Championships – Silver Medal
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Paralympic Games – 6th place
2021 Turkey – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Paralympic Games – 6th place

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award (sitting)
German Disabled Sports Team of the Year in 2005
Several MVP awards at Paravolley tournaments.

SHANISHAH Khalid – LBA (PVA)

Khalid started with WOVD/WPV in Tripoli in 2004 at the Afro-Arab Championships, where he qualified as a scorer for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. He fell in love with the sport.

“Those who had the greatest influence on my development were Gerard Brouwers, Henk Van de Loo, Denis Le Breuilly and Gabriel Lotan. All of them pushed me, believed in my skills as a referee and gave me many opportunities.”

Event involvement:

2004 Cairo, Egypt – International Referee Course – Qualified
2005 Cairo, Egypt – Afro Arab Zonal Championships – International Referee
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands -Triple World Championships – International Referee
2007 Tartous, Syria – Afro Arab Zonal Club Championships – International Referee
2007 Cairo, Egypt – Arab Zonal Tournament – International Referee
2008 Ismailia, Egypt – Intercontinental World Cup – International Referee
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2008 Tunis, Tunisia – Level 1 Zonal Referee course – Tutor
2009 Tunis, Tunisia – Maghreb Championships (Zonal Qualifier for 2010 World Championships in Oklahoms, USA) – Event Supervisor
2010 Port Said, Egypt – Afro Arab Zonal Championships – International Referee
2010 Port Said, Egypt – Club World Cup – International Referee
2010 Tunis,Tunisia – Maghreb Championship (Zonal) – Event Supervisor
2010 Edmond, Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – International Referee
2011 Kigali, Rwanda – Sub-Saharan African Championships – Referee Delegate
2012 Cairo, Egypt- North African Championship – Referee Delegate
2012 Cairo, Egypt – World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup – International Referee
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2014 Rabat, Morocco – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships (men) – Referee Delegate
2014 Elblag, Poland – World ParaVolley World Championships – International Referee
2015 Kigali, Rwanda – International Referee Course – Joint Tutor
2015 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – Referee Delegate
2016 Anji, China – World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup – Referee Observer
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Paralympic Games – International Referee
2018 Tabriz, Iran – World ParaVolley Super Six (men) – International Referee
2018 The Netherlands – World ParaVolley World Championships – International Referee
2019 Kigali, Rwanda – ParaVolley Africa Zonal Championships – Referee Delegate
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Paralympic Games – International Referee

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award (sitting)
2021 Radio Sport – Best referee across all sports for disabled people in my city (Misrata)

Official posts held:

2010 to present – ParaVolley Africa Referee Commissioner
2010 to present – World ParaVolley Referee Commission Member
2016 – present – World ParaVolley Referee Delegate and Referee Observer
Chairman of Libyan Referees Committee

SKOGSTRÖM Helena Anneli – FIN (PVE)

Helena had no previous experience of volleyball, but in 2007 she was invited to try sitting volleyball. She immediately fell in love with the sport. It has been a life-changing experience according to her and it would take a book to describe all the good things sitting volleyball has given to her. She started to be internationally active, as well as nationally, after the 2014 General Assembly at the World Championships and the meeting with World ParaVolley Sport Director Denis Le Breuilly. Those meetings were most important for her personally.

She used all opportunities to open conversations with ParaVolley Europe and World ParaVolley staff to share ideas, increase her understanding, and develop education opportunities and events. For her, Maciej Chodzko-Zajko, Denis Le Breuilly, Barry Couzner, Phil Allen, Louise Ashcroft, Branko Mihorko, Joe Campbell and John Kessel, international classifiers, referees, team managers and coaches were all wonderful. They were warmly welcoming and open to new ideas and she is sincerely thankul to them.

“I cannot say just one person influenced my development. From Finland, Timo Väre (previous Head Coach) and Petri Räbinä, provided opportunities, encouragement, and support to enable me to become involved more deeply in national and international sitting volleyball maters. All teammates in the National team (FIN) over the years, and all team managers and coaches of teams in Europe and the World, have been open for conversation and have given me a chance to learn as they listened and shared ideas and worries concerning the sport. Open listening and a strong will to develop the sport connects all of us. The support has been heartwarming. Humble Thank you all for great moments together.”

Event involvement:

2008 The Netherlands – Double Dutch Open – player
2008 Finland – Summer tournament – player
2009 The Netherlands – Euro Cup – player
2009 Poland – European Championships – player
2010 Finland – Pajulahti Games – player
2011 Finland – Pajulahti Games – player
2011 Finland – Marjola BeachVolley tournament – player
2011 The Netherlands – European Championships – player & Assistant Team Manager
2012 Finland – Pajulahti Games – player
2012 Great Britain – Kent Tournament – player & Team Manager
2012 Hungary – Tournament for Women – player & Team Manager
2012 Finland – International BeachVolley – player
2012 Russia – Izmailovo Open – player & Team Manager
2013 Finland – Pajulahti games- 20-23.1 – Player & Assistant Organizer
2013 Russia – Moscow – player & Team Manager
2013 Poland – European Championships – player & Assistant Team Manager
2014 Finland – Pajulahti games – player & Assistant Team Manager
2014 Hungary – Budapest Open – player & Assistant Team Manager
2014 Estonia – Tallinn tournament – player
2014 Russia – Moscow open – player & Assistant Team Manager
2014 Poland – World Championships – player & Assistant Team Manager – FIN representative at the General Assembly
2014 Hungary – ParaVolley Europe Sub zonal – player & Team Manager
2015 Finland – Pajulahti Games – Player, Assistant Organizer
2015 Finland – during Pajulahti Games organised classifiers Level 1 course
2015 Warendorf, Germany – European Championships (Men) – FIN representative at GA
2015 Slovenia – European Championships (Women) – Player – Member of Athlete Commission
2016 Finland – Pajulahti Games & PVE Sub-Zonal – player & Assistant Organizer
2017 Finland – Pajulahti Games & PVE Sub-Zonal – player & Assistant Organizer
2017 Hungary – Hungarian Open – player & Athlete Commissioner
2017 Croatia – European Championships – Assistant Team Manager & FIN representative in General Assembly
2017 – 2018 – ParaVolley Europe Sport director
2018 Finland – Pajulahti Games & PVE Sub zonal – Assistant Organizer and Technical Delegate
2018 The Netherlands – World ParaVolley World Championships – player, Team Manager, FIN representative at the General Assembly – Ahos Scholarship study*.
2018 Hungary – ParaVolley Europe Sub-Zonal – Assistant Technical Delegate
2018 Latvia – ParaVolley Europe Sub-Zonal (Men) – Technical Delegate
2019 Finland – Pajulahti Games – player & Assistant Organizer
2019 Hungary – European Championships – player & FIN representative at General Assembly
2019 France – New Nations League – Assistant Technical Delegate
2019 Peru – Parapan American Games – Ahos Scholarship study*
2020 Finland – Pajulahti Games – player & Assistant Organizer
2020 Canada – World ParaVolley Qualifier for Tokyo Paralympics – player
2021 Turkey – European Championships – Team Manager & FIN representative at PVE GA
2022 Finland – Pajulahti Games – player, Team Manager & Assistant Organizer

Playing (2008-2020):

Event Organisation: 2013 – present
Classification Administration: 2015 – 2018
Administration (Governance): 2015 – present
Technical Officiating: 2017 – 2018
Coaching: 2019 – 2020

Awards Received:

Scholarship from Ahos Foundation (Finland) to network, interview and study sitting volleyball in different countries. Also to study the integration of sitting volleyball with national volleyball associations.

Official posts held:

2021 – present – Sitting Volleyball Sports Manager, Finnish Volleyball Federation
2012 – 2018 & 2021 – present -Team Manager, Women´s National Team Finland
2017-2018 – ParaVolley Europe Sport Director
2015-2017 – Member of ParaVolley Europe Athlete Commission
2015-2018 – Member of the Board, Finnish Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities
2014 – present – Member of Finnish Sitting Volleyball Sport Commission
2012 – present – Communication Officer International Affairs, Finnish Sitting Volleyball Sports Commission

SOLVANG Jan Otto – NOR (PVE)

Jan Otto started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in 1982/83 in Norway to support with refereeing and help the Norwegian Sitting volleyball Federation. He was then following the Norwegian sitting volleyball team very closely during training and participated with them in different private and official Tournaments and acted as team manager for the Norwegian team

“Mr. Gaute Rostrup had the greatest influence on my development in the sport since he always supported and motivated me.”

Event involvement:

1985 Kristiansand, Norway – World Championships
1985 Kristiansand, Norway
1986 Sweden – Nordic Championships
1987 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia – European Championships EC. in Sarajevo. Passed the International Referee Course
1988 Bergen, Norway – International Promotion Match – International Referee
1988 Seoul, Korea – Paralympic Games – International Referee – Bronze Final
1989 Las Vegas, USA – World Championships – International Referee – Gold Final
Elected as Member of WOVD Volleyball Referee Commission
1990 Sandnes, Norway – Nordic Championships- Judge Referee
1990 Assen, The Netherlands – World Championships – Gold Final – Judge Referee
1991 Nottingham, Great Britain – European Championships – Referee Committee
1992 Aalborg, Denmark – Nordic Championships – Judge Referee
1992 Budapest, Hungary – Pre-Paralympics Event – International Referee
1992 Barcelona, Spain – Paralympic Games – Referee Committee
1993 Jarvenpaa, Finland – European Championships – Referee Committee & Instructor
1993 Rosendaal, The Netherlands – EuroCup – Judge Referee
1994 Helsinki, Finland – Nordic Championships – International Referee
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships – International Referee – Bronze Final -Referee Committee
1994 Lappenranta, Finland – EuroCup – Judge Referee
1995 Tehran, Iran – Asian Zonal Championships & International Tournament – Judge Referee & Instructor
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands – EuroCup – International Referee – Bronze Final
1996 Norrköping, Sweden – Nordic Championships – International Referee
1996 Kristiansand, Norway – EuroCup – International Referee – Bronze Final
1996 Atlanta, USA – Paralympic Games – International Referee – Bronze Final – Referee Committee
1999 Eura, Finland – International Tournament – International Referee
1999 Sandnes, Norway – Nordic Championships – Judge Referee
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia i Herzegovina – EuroCup – International Referee – Gold Final – Referee Committee
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games – International Referee – Gold Final –

Referee Committee

2001 De Lutte, The Netherlands – EuroCup – International Referee
2002 Riga, Latvia – EuroCup – International Referee – Bronze Final (Women) & Gold Final (Men) – Referee Committee
2002 Cairo, Egypt – World Championships – International Referee – Deputy Judge Referee
2003 Mar del Plata, Argentina – Parapan American Games – Judge Referee
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – International Referee – Gold Final – Referee Committee
2010 Rotterdam, The Netherlands – European Championships – Referee Observer.

Summary:

Referee within WOVD for 20 years (1985 – 2004)
Passed the International Referee Course in 1987 in Sarajevo
Participated in 32 different tournaments either only as a referee, only as Judge Referee/Instructor/Observer or both as a referee & member of the referee commission/observer.

5 Paralympic Games
5 World Championships (Both WC & EC in Kristiansand in 1985)
5 European Championships (Both WC & EC in Kristiansand in 1985)
7 European Cups
6 Open Nordic Championships
5 other International Tournaments
A total of 138 International games as referee within WOVD including: 6 bronze finals and 7 gold finals

Official posts held:

Member of WOVD Volleyball Referee Commission for 15 years (1989 – 2004)
Member of the European Referee Commission (2009 – 2010).

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award

POSTHUMOUS

ŠTEFÁK Juraj – SVK (PVE)

Juraj started as Team Medical Doctor (MD) for the Slovak National Team in 1994 after he met national coach Mrs Hankova and additionally he became a WOVD International Classifier in the mid 90s. He attended many World Championships, World Cups, European Championships and two Paralympic Games as Team Doctor and/or International Classifier until 2011. The greatest influence on his development in standing volleyball was Mrs Helena Hankova.

Event involvement:

1994 Germany – World Championships (5th place), Team MD
1995 Poland – European Championships (3rd place), Team MD
1996 USA – Paralympic Games (2nd place), Team MD
1997 Canada – World Cup (3rd place), Team MD, WOVD classifier
1998 Poland – World Championships (3rd place), Team MD
1999 Laval, Canada – Parapan American Games & World Cup (3rd place), Team MD, WOVD classifier
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games (3rd place), Team MD
2001 Slovakia – World Cup (1st place), Team MD, WOVD classifier
2002 Poland – World Championships (3rd place), Team MD
2003 Greece – World Cup (1st place), Team MD, WOVD classifier
2004 Germany – World Championships (2nd place), Team MD
2005 Canada – World Cup (3rd place), Team MD
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands -Triple World Championships (3rd place), Team MD
2007 Phnom Penh, Cambodia – World Cup (2nd place), Team MD, WOVD classifier
2009 Phnom Penh, Cambodia – World Cup (2nd place), Team MD, WOVD classifier
2011 Phnom Penh, Cambodia – World Cup (4th place), Team MD

Awards received:

2021 World ParaVolley Recognition Award (standing)

STEWART Glenn – AUS (PVAO)

Glenn attended the World Championships in I. R. Iran in 1998 as Assistant Coach of the Australian Sitting Volleyball Team and was elected as AOZVD Treasurer at the General Assembly. He became more heavily involved in World ParaVolley in 2016 because Australia did not have a current ParaVolley program and Mr Weiping Tu OAM suggested his knowledge and skills would be useful to their Zone. As they are both very passionate about ParaVolley, he accepted the challenge.

“Mr Weiping Tu OAM has had an enormous influence on me and my development in the sport, initially as a coach and mentor, and later as an inspiration to convince me to become more active internationally as an official and administrator. I continue to seek and value his opinions, advice and guidance to this day.”

Event involvement:

1996 – Introduced Sitting Volleyball to Australia, coaching and teaching players the new sport to Australia.
1997 – Convinced Mr Weiping Tu OAM to become the National Coach to help prepare an Australian National team with the aim of entering the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
1998 to 2010 – Australian National Assistant Coach and Manager at the following international events:
1998 – Tehran, I. R. Iran – World Championships – 7th place
1999 – Shanghai, China – China friendly games and mutual coaching development
1999 – Sydney, Australia – AOZVD Zone Championships (sanctioned under the WOVD) named the Southern Cross Multi Disability Championships
2000 – Hamburg, Germany – Werner Von Siemens Cup
2000 – Netherlands – Tour playing Club teams
2000 – Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games
2002 – Beijing, China – Friendly games
2002 – Busan, South Korea – 8th FESPIC Games
2006 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 9th FESPIC Games
2000 to 2008 – Sydney, Australia- Invited and coordinated (with Weiping Tu OAM) a number of reciprocal visits between the Chinese team and Australia, where coaching methods were shared with the aim to develop and improve players and coaches of both teams.
2019 – Port Villa and Santo, Vanuatu – Developed and co-presented a 2-day Introduction to ParaVolley Workshop (heavily focussed on coaching) with Mr Weiping Tu OAM
2021 – Developing Level 1 World ParaVolley Coaches Course online

Administration:

1999 – Sydney, Australia – AOZVD Zone Championships (named the Southern Cross Multi-Disability Championships) – Competition Manager for Sitting and Standing ParaVolley – arranged for international classification and refereeing clinics to be conducted, two of those candidates currently hold WPV positions.
2000 to 2011 – Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Australia – Initiated and coordinated many National competitions including the National Championships, later named the Stewart Shield, held in Sydney and Melbourne and the State of Origin Competition between NSW and Queensland.
2012 – Australia – Compiled a book containing the history and personal reflections from players of Sitting Volleyball in Australia from 1996 to 2011.
2017 – Anji, China – Asia Oceania Zone Championships – Elected PVAO Sport Director
2017 to current – As PVAO Sport Director I have: Initiated and developed the Zone Constitution, Governance Guidelines, Job Descriptions, Organisational Chart and Sub-Zone Committee Role Statement to provide common understanding and improve operations. Assisted the President by preparing and chairing meetings, including the General Assemblies. Assisted the General Secretary by preparing communications to be sent to nations.
2018 – China – conducted a two-day seminar for all PVAO Member nations at the request of the President.
2019 – Initiated and coordinated a review and update of an existing DRAFT Sitting Volleyball Event Management Handbook for LOCs and ITOs and included quite a number of related Support Documents to assist LOCS and ITOs in successful and coordinated planning and conduct of Sitting Volleyball events.
2021 – Initiated and coordinated updates of many WPV documents.

International Official:

2016 – Anji, China – Intercontinental – Jury Member
2017 – Tangqi, China – World Super 6 for Women – Jury Member
2017 – Tangqi, China – Asia Oceania Zone Championships – Jury Member
2018 – Sydney, Australia – INVICTUS Games – Court and Equipment Manager
2018 – Jeju, KOREA – WPV World Championship Qualifier Men and Women – Technical Delegate. (Assisted the coordination of Level 1 Coaching and Level 1 Classification Courses prior to the event).
2018 – 5 different cities, The Netherlands – WPV World Championships for Men (16 teams) and Women (16 teams) – Technical Delegate
2019 – Bangkok, Thailand – PVAO Zone Championships – Technical Delegate (Assisted the coordination of Level 1 Coaches, Level 2 Referees and Level 1 Classification Courses prior to the event)
2021 – Authored a Level 1 World ParaVolley Technical Official e-learning Theory Course and working on Level 2 Course.
2021 – Collaborated with World ParaVolley to use a ParaVolley Asia Oceania IPC grant for the development of World ParaVolley e-learning Level 1 and 2 Classification and Level 2 Coaching Courses to overcome the problems of delivering courses during the Covid19 restrictions.
2021 – Jointly, with Denis Le Breuilly, initiated and developed an e-learning Level 1 Technical Official Course – almost 60 participants have registered for the initial launch.

Coaching (1996 to 2010)
Technical Official (TD, Jury): 2016 to present
Administration (Governance): 1996 to present
Event Organisation: 1999 to present

Awards received:

2004 – Sydney, Australia – Level 1 Coaching Accreditation for Coaching Athletes with Disabilities through the Australian National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS).
2016 – Level 3 Technical Official Accreditation with World ParaVolley.
2020 – Accredited as World ParaVolley Technical Official Senior Staff Tutor.
2001 – Australia – Awarded the Sports Medal of Australia by the Australian Government for services to volleyball.
2000 Awarded the Best Support given to administration of Sports for Disabled from NSW Sports Council for the Disabled in 2000

Official posts held:

1998 – Tehran, I R Iran – World Championships – Elected Treasurer of Asia Oceania Zone Volleyball for the Disabled (AOZVD) now called PVAO.
2000 – Sydney, Australia – Established Sitting Volleyball Australia Incorporated and elected President, from 2000 to 2005 and Vice President from 2006 to 2011.
2017 – Tangqi, China – PVAO General Assembly – Elected PVAO Sport Director
2021 – Appointed temporarily as World ParaVolley Assistant Sport Director (Sport Commissions) due to long term leave of absence of the World ParaVolley Sport Director.
2021 – Virtual PVAO General Assembly – elected PVAO Sport Director.

“Glenn’s strategic outlook has had a huge effect on improving PVAO’s operation. His work with the Technical, Classification and Coaches Commissions to establish e-learning courses has been extremely well received and provides benefit to World ParaVolley into the future. His work with the World ParaVolley Technical Commission has led to many improvements and updates to help maintain current policy and practice. His expertise and value were recognised by World ParaVolley when he was appointed as interim Assistant Sport Director while the Sport Director was on extended leave. Glenn has always made himself available for any task, position or role. He is well respected by all nations and his leadership is very much appreciated.”

– Weiping TU OAM – PVAO Development Director

STINISSEN Elvira Johanna – NED – (PVE)

Elvira was born with one leg that was too short and small, but never wanted to compete in disabled sports. When she was 20 years old she started realising that if she wanted more out of sports she had to change her perspective. In the rehabilitation centre, there was a sports advisor who advised me to start playing sitting volleyball and skiing. She started training with Volleer, a club in the Netherlands. A couple of national team members, men and women, and the head coach of the women’s team practiced there as well and it was love at first sight.

“Joze Banfi, our national coach when I started playing sitting volleyball, had the greatest influence on my development. After being classified, a player’s career can move fast. After two years I realised that things were moving very quickly. I felt the urge to quit and stop playing volleyball. It was Joze then who sat in front of me and explained why sitting volleyball was so important to him. He said, ‘Elvira, I hope you choose volleyball.’ After a break and after Athens, which I did not attend, I started playing again and decided that I, same as Joze, wanted to give it all for sitting volleyball and tell everyone how important the sport is.”

Her involvement as a volunteer has been in several fields relating to sitting volleyball, nationally and internationally:

2009-2014: Improving the integration of sitting volleyball in the current sports infrastructure in the Netherlands and within the Dutch federation; clinics and presentations at schools, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, local governments. Setting up social platform www.zitvolleybal.com to represent Sitting volleyball and sitting volleyball players. Later transferred into volleyball site Nevobo.

Setting up an Athletes Commission within WorldParaVolley with Denis Le Breuilly and Barry Couzner. Made sure connections with athletes from different countries were made, held athletes meetings during World and European Championships to provide information from the athletes perspective.

As a player she attended 20 events (2001-2018) and won several medals. From 2008 to 2018 she was the team captain:

2018 The Netherlands – World Championships – player – 8th place
2017 Croatia – European Championships – player – Bronze Medal
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Paralympic Games – player – 6th place
2016 Anji, China – Intercontinental Cup – player – Silver Medal & Athletes Representative
2015 Slovenia – European Championships – player – 4th place – Best Attacker Award
2014 Poland – World Championships – player – 4th place & Athletes Representative
2013 Poland – European Championships – player – 4th place & Athletes Representative
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – player – 4th place
2011 Rotterdam, The Netherlands – European Championships – player – Silver Medal
2010 Egypt – World Championships – player – Silver Medal
2009 Poland – European Championships – player – Gold Medal
2009 The Netherlands – EuroCup – player – Silver Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – player – Bronze Medal
2008 Egypt – World Championships – player – Gold Medal
2007 Hungary – European Championships – player – Gold Medal
2006 The Netherlands – World Championships – player – Gold Medal
2005 Germany – European Championships – player – Gold Medal
2003 Finland – European Championships – player – Gold Medal
2002 Slovenia – Gold medal, WC, Slovenia, player
2001 Latvia – EuroCup – player – Gold Medal

Awards received:

2015 European Championships – Best Attacker
2018 Outstanding achievement
2018 The Golden Federation award from Nevobo
2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award

Official posts held:

Since 2013: Policy Officer, Sports Department, Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. I work in grassroots sports on strengthening sports in the social domain advising the Dutch Minister on Sports policy. My main focus is to make sports accessible for everyone no matter what gender, nationality, physical boundaries etc. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience sports at their own level.
2011-2013: Member Athletes Council Netherlands
2011-2014: Policy coordinator sitting volleyball, Nevobo. Improving the integration of sitting volleyball in the current sports infrastructure in the Netherlands and within Nevobo. In 2012 Nevobo did not see the importance of the elite sport sitting volleyball.
2012-2015: Chair Sitting Volleyball Association Council, Netherlands
2012-2016: Participation Ambassador of Randstad Netherlands
2013-2018: Interim Chair World ParaVolley Athletes Commission
2012-2019: Founder/proprietor, Elvira Stinissen Sport-ability, The Hague. In 2012, I founded Elvira Stinissen Sport-ability. The organisation stands for the possibilities that sports offer to people with and without disabilities. After retirement from the National team I closed this organisation, because I can fulfil this within my job at the ministry.

Volunteer, contribution for sitting volleyball and sports for people with a disability

Since 2021: Member of World ParaVolley Awards Committee
Since 2021: Member of the Sports Advisory council in Den Haag
2012-2020: Member Athletes Council IPC
2013-2020: Vice Chair IPC Athletes Council
2016-2020: Board member of the European Paralympic Committtee
2017-2018: Working in World ParaVolley Classification Review Commission
2012-2016: Chair, NEVOBO Policy Advisory Team for the development of sitting volleyball

SZATMARI Dora – HUN (PVE) Szatmari

Dora started with WOVD/WPV in Nyíregyhaza, Hungary in 2006 as a trainee classifier.

“Those who contributed to my development include my classifier colleagues who inspired me to always aim at excellence, and Toralv Thorkildsen former ParaVolley Europe President by showing a good example with his positive and supportive attitude in management.”

Event involvement:

2021 Team Leader of Classification Commission of World ParaVolley
2021 Kemer, Turkey – European Championships – L3 Classifier via technology (testing with 47 Athletes)
2021 Tokyo, Japan – 2020 Paralympic Games – Senior (L3) Classifier
2021 World ParaVolley Final Qualifier for Tokyo 2020 – Chief Classifier
2020-2021 Acting Head of Classifier Education for World ParaVolley
2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award for having made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of Sitting Volleyball as an: International Classifier/Educator and in the field of Governance

2012 Germany – European Championships – Chief International Classifier
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – International Classifier
2012 Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – Chief International Classifier, Classification Course Tutor
2011-2019 Appointed Head of Classification of ParaVolley Europe
2011 The Netherlands – European Championships – Classifier, Classification Course Tutor
2010 Egypt – World Cup – Chief International Classifier, Classification Course Tutor
2010 Oklahoma USA – World Championship – Head of Delegation for Hungary Men
2008 Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – Chief International Classifier, Classification Course Tutor
2007 Hungary – European Championship Sitting Volleyball – Classifier and Technical Delegate
2007 Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Standing Volleyball World Cup – Classifier
2006-2010 The Netherlands, Germany, Bosnia i Herzegovina, Hungary – EuroCup -International Classifier
2006-2013 Classification of Hungarian Paralympic Athletes
Member of the Classification Committee, Classifier

Awards received:

2020 World ParaVolley Recognition Award

Official posts held:

2021 Team Leader of World ParaVolley Classification Commission
2020 -2021 Acting Head of Classifier Education for World ParaVolley
2011-2019 ParaVolley Europe Head of Classification

“Dora has brought extensive classification experience to World ParaVolley from her previous & current roles with ParaSwimming, Para PowerLifting and with the IPC. She has provided classification expertise, not only during classification evaluation of athletes, but in many administrative areas of Classification as well.

“She has been the assistant Head of Classifier Education for several years, offering advice as part of the Classification Rules Review Panel in 2016-2018, and stepping in to organize L1 and L2 courses administratively and as Head tutor. She was one of two people involved in the updating of the L1 classification course material in 2018 after the new rules were accepted by World ParaVolley.

“Dora’s skills and approach to evaluation and communicating classification outcomes are exemplary. With her cheerful countenance and communication skills, she has always been a valuable member of the international classification team. She leads by example and has been an amazing mentor to all classifiers at all levels of experience. In this, she has demonstrated great skill in tutoring, mentoring, encouraging, and supporting all classifiers to take themselves to the next level. Her gentle but direct communication with athletes and coaches make her a trusted source of information for many teams. She has also been part of hearing panels involving classification appeals, providing clarification of rules and processes.

“Dora was a key contributor to the development of Classification via Technology during the pandemic, and was part of a pilot project, coming in to classify athletes with limb deficiency impairment for the first time via technology in 2021. Dora has been a responsive and reliable volunteer for World ParaVolley, always giving carefully considered feedback for projects over many years, often on a daily basis.

“Her time and dedication to Education and Classification in our sport has resulted in a robust and respected Classification Commission for World ParaVolley by the zones as well as by the IPC. She is now serving in a new role as Head of Classification for World ParaVolley as well as continuing in a role with Classifier Education and will be contributing even more to the development of World ParaVolley going forward.”

– Louise Ashcroft – World ParaVolley Medical Director

POSTHUMOUS

TOMIČ Štefka – SLO (PVE)

Štefka Tomič started to play volleyball in club ŠD Samorastnik and the Slovenian national team in 1996 afterMedal winning International Player (1997- present), Awards from Slovenian Association for Sport for the Disabled and Slovenian Olympic Committee; work in the field of event organisation, at age 33, she had a car accident and had an under-knee amputation. She met sitting volleyball player Andrej Samec during her rehabilitation in University Rehabilitation Institute of Republic Slovenia and she accompanied him to training. After a while she joined and became a member of Slovenian women team for 16 years, and more for ISD Samorastnik .

Event involvement:

1997 Tallin, Estonia – European Championships – player – 4th place
1997 Jūrmala, Latvia – EuroCup (women) – player – Silver Medal
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia i Herzogovina – European Championships – player – Gold Medal
2000 Maastricht, The Netherlands – World Championships – player – Bronze Medal
2001 Sarospatak, Hungary – European Championships – player – Silver Medal
2002 Kamnik, Slovenia – World Championships – player – Silver Medal – and participated in organization of the tournament and Gala dinner for officials in Portorož
2002 Riga, Latvia – EuroCup player – Bronze Medal
2003 Lappeenranta, Finland – European Championships – player – Silver Medal
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – player – 4th place
2004 Izola, Slovenia – 4th Festival of Youth – participated in event organisation
2005 Leverkusen, Germany – European Championships – player – Bronze Medal
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships – player – Bronze Medal
2007 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – European Championships – player – Bronze Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – player – 4th place
2008 Ismailia, Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – player – Silver Medal
2009 Elblag, Poland – European Championships – player – Bronze Medal
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – player – 5th place
2011 Rotterdam, The Netherlands – European Championships – player – 4th place
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – player – 6th place

Awards received:

2013 Award of the Slovenian Association for Sport for the Disabled at the end of sport career
1995-2009 Silver and Bronze badge from the Slovenian Association of Disabled Sports for sport achievements
1995-2009 Silver and bronze badge of Slovenian Olympic committee for sport achievement

“Štefka was a hardworking athlete, who didn’t practice any sport before she had a car accident when she was 46 years old. After she joined the team, she used every opportunity to train. Despite a demanding job and the long distance from Portorož, where she lived, to the training venue in Ravne na Koroškem, she almost didn’t miss a training session. She helped organise training camps in Portorož and helped in the organisation of World Championships for women in 2002, Youth Festival for juniors and Youth World Championships in 2005. Štefka was a role model for many young disabled people as she reached elite level results with no previous sport experiences. She was ready to help every team member and motivated them to practice hard.”

– Anita Goltnik-Urnaut – former Interim President of WOVD

TU Weiping – AUS (PVAO)

In 1996 Weiping was requested by Glenn Stewart to form an Australian Sitting Volleyball team. He was elected the Development Director of Asia Oceania Volleyball for Disabled Federation – AOCVD (Now PVAO) in 2006, a post he still holds. He really started with WOVD/WPV when he was appointed to the WOVD World Championship Oklahoma, USA in 2010 as a Jury Member.

“As well as Glenn Stewart, who influenced me to become involved in the sport of sitting volleyball, the President of World ParaVolley, Mr Barry Couzner OAM was also a major influence on my development in the sport. He encouraged me to plan and deliver the first World ParaVolley Super 6 Women’s event as the Technical Delegate in Hangzhou, China. This was the first time US $50,000 prize money was allocated. I went on to deliver the second World ParaVolley Super 6 Women’s event in Chengdu (CHN), also as the TD. I was also encouraged and supported by Barry Couzner to create the first World ParaVolley Series Beach Volleyball event at Pingtan, China.”

Event involvement:

1997 Appointed as Honorary Head Coach of the inaugural Australian National Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team and represented Australia as coach until 2009 including in the
following:

1998 Tehran, Iran – World Sitting Volleyball Championship
2000 Hamburg, Germany – Von Siemens Cup and friendship games
2000 The Netherlands – The Friendship Games
2000 Sydney, Australia – Paralympic Games
2002 Busan, Korea – 8th Fespic Games (Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled)
2006 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – (Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled)

Other events

2010 Oklahoma – Sitting Volleyball World Championships – Jury Member
2010 Guangzhou, China – Asian Para Games – Assistant Technical Delegate
2011 Beijing, China – 1st Asian Paralympic Committee Championship – Technical Delegate
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Game – Jury Member
2013 Beijing, China – 2nd Asian Paralympic Committee Championship – Jury Member
2014 Elblag, Poland – World ParaVolley World Championships – Jury Member
2014 Mashhad, Iran – World Championships & Asian Para Games Qualification – Assistant Technical Delegate
2014 Incheon, Korea – Asian Para Games – Jury Member

2015
Accompanied World ParaVolley President, Barry Couzner OAM to China, to:
Assist inspection of the Tang Qi China Goalball Training Centre facilities and discuss the contract for the World ParaVolley Intercontinental
Taizhou City to visit Qianghuai Sports Equipment Company to seek sponsorship and provide homologation recognition letter for the quality of equipment
Travel to Shanghai to meet with Chinese Disabled Sports Federation Director to discuss World Women’s Super 6 Games
Assist as a technical consultant attended the 9th National Games for Persons With Disabilities of the People’s Republic of China which included Sitting Volleyball games.

2016 Anji, Hangzhou, China – World ParaVolley Intercontinental – Technical Delegate

2016

Invited to advise and assist Disability Sports Australia and the Australian Department of Defence during the Sitting Volleyball preparation camp for those representing Australia at the 2016 Invictus Games in Florida USA.
Camps attended were on 3 April in Sydney and 30 April in Brisbane.

2017 – 2018 Appointed as the Coach Mentor of Australian Defence force Invictus Team
2017 Hangzhou China – World ParaVolley Super 6 Women – Technical Delegate
2018 Jeju City, Korea – World Championships Qualifier – Jury Member
2018 Chengdu, China – World ParaVolley Super 6 Women – Technical Delegate.
2018 The Netherlands – World ParaVolley World Championships – Jury member.
2018 Indonesia – Asian Para Games – Jury Member.
2018 Sydney, Australia – Invictus Games – Jury Member

2019

Beijing China – 07/03/2019 to 09/03/2019 assisted World ParaVolley to visit Beijing Sports University producing an MoU in order to form a sound basis for our collaboration between two organisations. 3 areas including: 1. China Volleyball Institute of Sports; 2. Institute of Sports Medicine; and 3. Institute of Media and
Communication and rehabilitation.
2019 Hangzhou, China – As the Director of WPV Development Centre in Hangzhou China I supported the organisation of the March 2019 Board meeting in Hangzhou.
2019 Pingtan, China – Supported planning of 2019 World ParaVolley World Series Beach
2019 Bangkok, Thailand – PVAO Zonal Championships – Jury Member
2019 China – 10th China national Games for Person with disabilities – Invited by APC China as a Sitting Volleyball Sports advisor.
2019 China – Managed and Organised the First FIVB and WPV combined demonstration Game: “Same One Volleyball and Same One Dream” during Women’s Club World Championship.

2020 World ParaVolley World Cup -Technical Delegate – Cancelled because of pandemic
2021 Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo 2020 Paralympics – 20/08/2021 to 06/09/2021 – Jury member

Coaching

As well as coaching numerous teams at all levels, also conducted Level 1 and 2 coaching courses for Volleyball in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.

The following courses were also conducted:

2012 Tehran, Iran – AOCVD Para Volleyball Level 2 Coaches Course
2013 Shanghai, China – AOCVD Para Volleyball Level 2 Coaches Course
2018 Jeju, South Korea – World ParaVolley Level 1 Coaches Course
2019 Huamark, Thailand – World ParaVolley Level 1 Coaches Course
2019 Port Vila, Vanuatu – ParaVolley Introduction Course
2020 PVAO Coaching Group established
2021 Launch of World ParaVolley Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Sitting Volleyball Course

Involvement has included in the fields of Coaching (1997 – present), Administration/Governance (2006 to present), Technical Officiating (2010 to present) and Event Organisation (2010 to present).

Awards received:

1998 Awarded World’s Most Outstanding Coach from World Organisation Volleyball for Disabled (WOVD) at the World Championship Sitting Volleyball, Tehran. IR Iran
2009 Qualified WOVD Coach Instructor
2012 Qualified World ParaVolley Level 2 Technical Official in London
2013 Qualified World ParaVolley Level 3 Technical Official in Malaysia
2021 Qualified World ParaVolley Level 3 Technical Official Course Senior Tutor
Australian National Level 2 Volleyball Coach (highest level)
Australian Level 1 & Level 2 Coaching Course Instructor (highest level)
Australian National AAA Volleyball Referee (highest level)
2000 Awarded the Best Support given to administration of Sports for Disabled from NSW Sports Council for the Disabled
2000 Awarded the Australian Sports Medal from the Award and National Symbols Branch of Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
2018 Queen Birthday June 2018, I was awarded by Australian Government the
Medal of the Order of Australia OAM.
2019 Awarded by Big Ben Award UK. the Global top 10 Outstanding ethnic Chinese Coaches Prize.
2020 Awarded by World ParaVolley the” Recognition Award” for having made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of sitting volleyball in the field of Coaching, Development and Technical officiating.

Official posts held:

2006 Elected as Development Director for Asia Oceania Committee for Volleyball
Disabled (AOCVD now Asia Oceania ParaVolley – PVAO)
2010 Re-elected as AOCVD (PVAO) Development Director
2014 Re-elected the AOCVD (PVAO) Development Director
2015 Appointed by World ParaVolley as World ParaVolley Marketing Consultant
2017 Appointed the Director of World ParaVolley Development Centre – Hangzhou China
World ParaVolley Technical Official Senior Staff Tutor

URNAUT Adolf – SLO (PVE)

Adi was introduced to sitting volleyball by players Davorin Kragelnik and Vlado Homan, members of the Yugoslavian national team, when they invited him to join their training sessions in 1988, when they were preparing themselves for the Paralympic Games. He found the sport very attractive and wanted to share his volleyball experience with sitting volleyball players and coaches. In 1990 he participated in his first international competition as coach of his sitting volleyball club and led Slovenia in the 1994 World Championships. He participated in an instructor clinic in Rosenberg in the early ’90s and started to work with Rajko Vute, the Chair of the Development department, on various WOVD development events. He was the men’s national team coach from 1992 until 1998 and the women’s national team coach from 1995 until 2012. He has also been the coach of sport club Samorastnik Ravne since 1990.

“There are two people who influenced me most in my involvement in sitting volleyball – Peter Ozmec, the club and Slovenian National Paralympic Association president, organiser of may international events. He influenced my decades-long participation in sitting volleyball at club and national level. We still work together at club level. Rajko Vute, who invited me to work as an instructor at European and world level.”

Event involvement as coach:

1992 Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia – EuroCup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 5th place
1993 Järvenpää, Finland – European Championships – national coach (men) – 6th place
1993 Rosendaal, The Netherlands – Eurocup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships – national coach (men) – 7th place
1994 Lappenranta, Finland – EuroCup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships – national coach (men) – 7th place, (women) – Bronze Medal
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands – EuroCup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1996 Kristiansand, Norway – EuroCup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 7th place
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – European Championships – national coach (women) – 4th place
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – EuroCup (women) – club coach ISD Samorastnik – Silver Medal
1997 Hajduszoboszlu, Hungary – EuroCup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 9th place
1998 Osijek, Croatia – EuroCup – club coach ISD Samorastnik – 7th place
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia i Herzogovina – European Championships – national coach (women) – Gold Medal
1999 Enschede, The Netherlands – EuroCup – coach ISD Samorastnik – 9th place
2000 Maastricht, The Netherlands – World Championships – national coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2001 Sarospatak, Hungary – European Championships – national coach (women) – Silver Medal
2002 Kamnik, Slovenia – World Championships – national coach (women) – Silver Medal
2002 Riga, Latvia – EuroCup – national coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2003 Lappeenranta, Finland – European Championships – national coach (women) – Silver Medal
2004 Athens, Greece – Paralympic Games – national coach (women) – 4th place
2005 Leverkusen, Germany – European Championships – national coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2005 Kamnik, Slovenia – World Youth Championships – national coach (men) – 6th place,
2006 Roermond, The Netherlands – World Championships – national coach (women) -Bronze Medal
2007 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – European Championships – national coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games- National coach (women) – 4th place
2009 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary – European Championships – national coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2010 Oklahoma, USA – World Championships – national coach (women) – 5th place
2010 Port Said, Egypt – Intercontinental Cup – national coach (women) – Bronze Medal
2011 Rotterdam, Netherlands – European Championships – national coach (women) – 4th place
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – assistant coach (women) – 6th place

Summary of role as a coach:

From 1991 until the present: Coach of the sitting volleyball team ISD Samorastnik Ravne, best result 5th place at the 1992 European Club Championships and more than 20 national championship titles.
1993 – 1996 Coach of the men’s national sitting volleyball team, best result 7th place at the 1994 World Championships, 6th place at the 1993 European Championships.
1995 -2011 Coach of the women’s national sitting volleyball team, best result 1st place European Championships 1999, 2nd place World Championships 2002, 3rd place World Championships 2000 and 2006, total of 13 medals at European and World Championships, 2 medals at the Intercontinental Cup, 2 medals at the European Cup

Instructor in development clinics for coaches (1996-2006):

1997 Bosnia i Herzegovina
1997 Poland
2003 Cuba
2005 Serbia
2005 Bulgaria
2006 Brazil

Awards received:

2002 WOVD: Recognition of contribution to development of sitting volleyball and coaching
2006 WOVD: Recognition of the World Organisation for Volleyball of The Disabled (WOVD) for successful coaching and development
2020 World ParaVolley: Recognition Award – for an important contribution to the promotion and development of sitting volleyball as a coach
National Sport Award – Bloudek Award – recognition (for coaching)
National Sport Award Bloudek Award – for life-time work in sport

Official post held:

Member of WOVD Coaches/Instructors Commission

Adi made a major contribution to the development of sitting volleyball for women nationally, in Europe and worldwide, particularly as an instructor and mentor of many coaches and through his promotion of the sport.

VAN der HAAR-KRAMP Karin – NED (PVE)

Volleyball was Karin’s sport and when she lost her left arm at age 16, she thought she can still do a lot and play volleyball. In the Netherlands, she was the role model for arm amputated children and adults. She started with WOVD/WPV in Hungary in 2007, when the trainer from the women’s sitting volleyball team asked if she would join their team.

“As a person I stand out because of my energy, my enthusiasm and my ability to enthuse others. In addition, I am structurally oriented, but I can also think ‘out of the box’. I am socially involved and compassionate. I like to work in a team, but I can also work very well independently. In addition to my social career, I have had a second career as a top athlete for a long time (2007-2018), during which I have been able to participate in three Paralympics in a row with my team, culminating in the Bronze Medal in Beijing in 2008.

“My trainer, Michiel de Ruyter had the greatest influence on my development in the sport. He has put many handles in my ‘backpack’.”

Event involvement as a team spiker, and frequently top scorer:

2007 Hungary – European Championships – Golden Medal
2008 Egypt – International World Cup – Golden Medal
2008 Beijing, China – Paralympic Games – Bronze Medal
2009 Poland – EuroCup – Silver Medal – Best Spiker
2009 Poland – European Championships – Gold Medal
2010 Oklahoma USA – World Championships – 4th place
2010 Egypt – World Cup – Silver Medal
2011 The Netherlands- European Championships – Silver Medal
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – 4th place
2013 Poland – European Championships – 4th place – Best Spiker
2014 Elblag, Poland – World Championships – 4th place
2015 The Netherlands – European Championships – Silver Medal – Best Spiker
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Paralympic Games – 6th place
2017 Porec, Croatia – European Championships – Bronze Medal
2018 The Netherlands – World Championships – 8th place

In addition, having set up a club in her hometown, she has been involved in coaching from 2018 until the present.

Official posts held:

Member of the European Athletes Commission – 1-11-2015 till 01-01-2018
Member of the Netherlands Athletes Commission until 2016
Treasurer of the Netherlands Women’s Team until 01-01-2018

ZAMIR Hagai – ISR (PVE)

Hagai started with ISOD/WOVD in 1974 after suffering a war injury at age 24.

Event involvement:

1973 Austria – European Championships – Setter – Bronze Medal
1976 Germany – European and World Championships – Setter – Gold Medal
1976 Canada – Paralympic Games – Setter – Gold Medal
1979 The Netherlands – European Championships – Setter – Gold Medal
1980 The Netherlands – Paralympic Games – Setter – Gold Medal
1983 The Netherlands – European and World Championships – Setter – Gold Medal
1984 USA – Paralympic Games – Setter – Gold Medal
1985 Norway – World Championships – Setter – Silver Medal
1986 Israel – World Championships – Setter – Silver Medal
1987 France – European Championships – Setter – Bronze Medal
1988 South Korea – Paralympic Games – Setter – Silver Medal
1989 Poland – European Championships – Setter – Bronze Medal
1989 USA – World Championships – Setter – Silver Medal
1992 Spain – Paralympic Games – Setter
1994 Germany – World Championships – Setter
1996 USA – Paralympic Games – Setter
2000 Australia – Paralympic Games – Libero
2002 Poland – World Championships – Libero

Medals received:

3 Paralympic Gold Medals
1 Paralympic Silver Medal
2 World Championship Gold Medals
2 World Championship Silver Medals
3 European Championship Gold Medals

ZHANG Jun Min – GBR (PVE)

Jamie started with WOVD/World ParaVolley in the United Kingdom in 2007. Those who influenced his development in the sport include Pavel Mustafin, his original mentor in classification, and Louise Ashcroft, who motivated him to keep progressing in the field of anti-doping. Her enthusiasm and interest fuelled his enthusiasm and interest.

Event involvement:

2007 Phnom Penh, Cambodia – World Standing Volleyball Championships – Classifier
2008 Beijing, China, Paralympic Games – VIP Guest
2009 Elblag, Poland – European Championships – Classifier
2010 Oklahoma, USA – Sitting Volleyball World Championships – Classifier
2011 Kent, United Kingdom – European Continental Cup – Classifier
2012 London, Great Britain – Paralympic Games – Classifier
2013 Elblag, Poland – European Championships – Classifier
2017 Porec, Croatia – European Championships – Classifier
2019 Tokyo, Japan – Women’s World Super 6 – Classifier

Playing from 2007 to 2011
Coaching from 2007 to 2011
Medical from 2007 to 2011
Classification from 2007 to Present
Research from 2008 to 2011
Sponsorship from 2007 to 2011

Awards received:

2021 Standing Volleyball Recognition Award

Official posts held:

World ParaVolley International Classifier
Team Leader (Chair) of World ParaVolley Anti-Doping Committee
London Lynx Sitting Volleyball Club Head Coach
Great Britain Sitting Volleyball Assistance Coach
Great Britain Sitting Volleyball Team Doctor
Volleyball England Classification Consultant

“His role in completing the WADA Compliance Review in 2018 resulted in World ParaVolley meeting all requirements for Compliance on time. He has led the commission ensuring that World ParaVolley is testing athletes to protect clean sport, and ensuring that we play our part in the Anti-Doping Education of our international athletes. Despite having a busy medical practice, he has found the time to quietly work behind the scenes, supporting our Federation and our athletes, and always with a smile and good humour. By 2020 he built the human resource numbers within the Anti-Doping Commission to establish a full commission of active members. World ParaVolley has indeed been fortunate to have Jamie.”

– Louise Ashcroft – World ParaVolley Medical Director

Sverre Bergenholdt (NOR)

For his leadership as an athlete and in the fields of technical officiating, event organising, classification and governance.

Jenni Cole (AUS)

 For her leadership in the fields of Classification, education and governance.

Jouke de Haan (posthumously) (NED)

 For his leadership in the field of coaching and coach education.

Anita Goltnik-Urnaut (SLO)

 For her leadership as a player and in the fields of management and governance.

Wayne Hellquist (CAN)

For his leadership in strategic planning, governance & marketing.

Pieter Joon (NED)

For his decades of leadership as Founding President from the origins of the Organisation.

John Kessel (USA)

For his leadership in the fields of development and coach education

Gordon Neale OBE (GBR)

For his leadership in the fields of refereeing, coaching, administration and governance.

Athanasios Papageorgiou (GER)

For his leadership in the fields of research, coaching and coach education.

Hadi Rezaiegarkani (IRI)

For his leadership in the fields of coaching and coach education.

Marie-Therese Scholtens (posthumously) (NED)

For her leadership in governance and administration at the Zone and world levels.

Rajko Vute (SLO)

For his leadership in coaching and coach education, research, event organisation and governance.