Volleyball's governing body wants to see Japan, the birthplace of the sport at the Olympics, recreate its golden era at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, FIVB secretary general Fernando Lima said.
Japan remains a volleyball hotbed 54 years after the gold medal performance of the women's national team on the sport's Olympic debut at the 1964 Tokyo Games. A recent survey found 35 percent of people between 12 and 21 are looking forward to watching the sport more than any other in 2020.
Japan saw a period of sustained competitiveness in the 1970s and 1980s, including men's gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics and another for the women in Montreal in 1976, and it is that history, combined with a new "mecca" arena in Tokyo and new world league, that the International Volleyball Federation hopes will allow it to cash in.