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2014 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship

2014 Men's World Championship
2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship logo.png
Tournament details
Host nation  Poland
Dates 30 August–21 September
Teams 24
Venues (in 7 host cities)
Champions  Poland (2nd title)
MVP Poland Mariusz Wlazły
Official website
FIVB

The 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship was held in Poland from 30 August to 21 September 2014. The tournament featured 24 teams to determine the world champions in men's volleyball. In addition to the host nation Poland, 23 teams qualified for the tournament by means of continental and regional competitions. The matches took place in seven venues across seven Polish cities, with the final being held at Spodek, Katowice.

The tournament was won by the host country Poland, who beat Brazil (who won the previous three titles) in the final. Poland became the third team in the history of the competition to be crowned in their own country, joining the Soviet Union (1952 and 1962) and Czechoslovakia (1966).

563,263 fans watched the matches during the 18-day event, smashing the previous records in the competition. In Italy four years earlier, the total was 339,324, while in Japan in 2006, it was 298,352.

On 4 September 2008 the FIVB announced it had agreed a partnership deal for Poland to host the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in 2014. "This will be the biggest and most beautiful sports event in the world, not only in volleyball but throughout the whole sports family," said FIVB Honorary Life President Rubén Acosta. "Poland – I'm sure about it – will make this championship very special."

Acosta and FIVB President Wei Jizhong agreed the deal in Warsaw following negotiations with the Polish Minister of Sport, Mirosław Drzewiecki; Mirosław Błaszczyk, President of the Board of Administration of Polsat Television; Polsat Television Sports Department Director, Marian Kmita and Polish Volleyball Federation President, Mirosław Przedpełski.

Volleyball in Poland has enjoyed a huge surge in popularity during the 2000s. The Polish Men's team finished as runners-up at the 2006 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Japan and a year later, Katowice hosted one of the best-ever FIVB Volleyball World League Final Rounds.


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Wikipedia

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