Canberra, Australia - July 22-23, 2017
Host country: Australia
Australia tasted top-level volleyball action at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. It also hosted an Asian qualification leg of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in 2014. That same year, the country welcomed qualified teams for the FIVB Volleyball World League Group 2 Finals.
In 2017, Australia will host the Group 2 Finals for the second time. Gold Coast will be the venue from June 23 to 25.
The Australian men’s team made the volleyball world sit up and take notice when they qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games and finished in the top 10. The team then booked their ticket to the Men’s World Championship in 2014 when they won the Asian men’s qualification tournament in 2013 and finally established their reputation when they made their mark in the World League – the premier annual men’s tournament - with a fifth-place finish in 2014.
Host city: Canberra
Canberra is Australia’s capital, and is the largest inland city. Surrounded by forest, farmland and nature reserves, it earns the nickname of the "Bush Capital.” On the lakeshore is the strikingly modern Parliament House, as well as museums including the National Gallery, known for its indigenous art collections.
Although it may not be known for volleyball, Canberra is a melting pot of sports, with rugby union, rugby league, cricket, Australian rules football and football all played at a professional level the city. It is also home to the Australian Institute of Sport which first introduced a volleyball programme in 1990.
Host Venue: AIS Arena
AIS Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Canberra, Australia. Its capacity is 5,200 and it was built in 1980. The arena was originally named the National Indoor Sports Centre and was the inaugural home of the Australian Institute of Sport.