Bhubaneswar: World’s largest volleyball tournament, in collaboration with KIIT, KISS and FIVB featuring over 5,000 players, was inaugurated Friday by FIVB President Ary S Graça.
US Consul General in Hyderabad Jennifer Larson, FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo, KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta, KIIT VC Saranjit Singh, KISS VC Deepak Behera, and KIIT director of sports Gaganendu Dash were present on the occasion.
Addressing the participants, Graça expressed hope that FIVB’s mission of serving the community through volleyball would be realised through the KISS Volleyball Festival. He praised KISS as an institution and lauded the initiative, stating that volleyball could promote peace worldwide through the values of non-violence.
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Samanta, in his address, highlighted that alongside the 5,000 participating athletes, over 40,000 spectators enjoyed the festival. He expressed his gratitude to Graça, who visited the country to inaugurate the event at KISS. The festival has also been submitted for recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the largest volleyball tournament.
An MoU was also signed during the event between KISS and FIVB to promote the growth of volleyball in the state and the country. The pact aims to leverage the volleyball infrastructure at KISS to nurture future players. Additionally, KIIT and KISS announced the launch of the ‘Samanta-Graça’ scholarship to support volleyball players, providing them with the opportunity to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate education at KIIT and KISS.
PNN