Weiping Tu OAM has spent over 40 years helping grow the game of Sitting Volleyball, both within the Asia Oceania zone and around the globe. After studying Volleyball at the famous Beijing Sports University and coaching in China for many years, Weiping migrated to Australia in 1988 and the began coaching Volleyball in Sydney. In the 90s he began a full-time training program at the Australian Institute of Sport which formed the Australian Men’s Sitting Volleyball team for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. More recently he has been focusing on coach education and had Technical Official appointments at many international World ParaVolley competitions, including World Championships the London 2012 Paralympic Games and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
1 – How did you get involved in Sitting Volleyball?
Back in 1987, I attended an International Disabled Sport and Rehabilitation training course. Professor Dr. H. Kosel of the University of Cologne gave me a book of Sitting Volleyball from the Netherlands. I instantly felt that this sport was really interesting, so I started to coach a rehabilitation hospital team in China. Then in 1990 I joined the coaching team for the Australian National Men’s Volleyball team and a year later I ran the national volleyball level one and level two coaching courses in Australia. At the end of the course, I always emphasised sitting volleyball as another type of volleyball.
In 1997 I was appointed as Honorary Head Coach of the inaugural Australian National Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team, taking them to:
- 1998 – World Sitting Volleyball Championship in I R Iran.
- May 2000 – Von Siemens Cup in Hamburg, Germany and friendship games in the Netherlands.
- 2000 – The Paralympic Games 2000 in Sydney.
- 2002 – 8th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC Games) in Busan, Korea.
- 2006 – 9th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC Games) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By 2006 I was elected as the Development Director for the Asia Oceania Committee for Volleyball Disabled, AOCVD (now called ParaVolley Asia Oceania – PVAO), becoming more involved with jobs as an International Technical Official.
2 – What is it that motivates you each day to further develop our sport?
Now I am heavily involved as a Jury member, Assistant Technical Delegate and Technical Delegate in World Championships, Super 6, Paralympic Games, Asian Para Games and PVAO Championships. Recently also, in the Beach Volleyball series events. The love and enjoyment of the sport are my main motivations to challenge myself at higher levels.
I am very happy to be involved in developing the sport, which has helped me develop my skills and knowledge. Every event provides positive feedback to motivate me to develop our sport.
3 – What has been your biggest achievement in Sitting Volleyball to date?
I was awarded the World’s Most Outstanding Coach from World Organisation Volleyball for Disabled at the Sitting Volleyball World Championship in Tehran. IR Iran in 1998. However, it is off the court where I have more recent pride in my achievements. I qualified as a World Organisation Volleyball for Disabled Coach Instructor in 2009 and still work in this area to this day. As a Technical Official I qualified as Level 2 in London 2012, Level 3 in Malaysia 2013 and became a Level 3 Tutor 2021.
Then in 2022 I was awarded a World ParaVolley Distinguished Service Award for having made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of sitting volleyball in the field of Coaching, Development and Technical officiating.
4 – How would you explain Sitting Volleyball to someone in 12 words or less?
Sitting Volleyball is sitting down, moving and playing volleyball for all.
5 – Where/how do you see Sitting Volleyball in 10 years time?
Sitting Volleyball will become the number one International Paralympic Committee and Asia Paralympic Committee sport in 10 years’ time. Standing Beach ParaVolley will become an IPC event in Brisbane at the Paralympic Games.
Sitting Volleyball will even more become a sport for all.
The ‘Movers & Shakers’ initiative is aimed at giving more recognition to those that are developing Sitting Volleyball around the globe.
It can be anyone working in the sport, whether they have excelled at promoting it, ran a successful competition, started a new club/activity, organised events to increase awareness, influenced people for the greater benefit of the sport or a combination of the above.
Please do let us know if you know of someone who deserves to be highlighted by e-mailing
volleyslide@worldparavolley.org with the following:
- Full name
- e-mail address
- Country in which they mainly work
- A short justification of why you are putting them forward
Their story will also offer others a chance for others to learn from their good practise and use what works in their area for even greater benefit. This is your chance to give recognition to those who promote and build the sport of sitting volleyball. We look forward to hearing from you.