KIIT, KISS announce Beach Pro Tour 2026-28 in Odisha with FIVB

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 15 (ANI): FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) has announced Beach Pro Tour for 2026, 2027, and 2028 at the Volleyball Mahakumbh at KIIT & KISS in Odisha.
The event, which began on December 11 in collaboration with KIIT-KISS and FIVB, concluded on December 14 and was attended by 40,000 students. The event was graced by Fabio Azevedo, President of FIVB, who held a press conference on Sunday to announce the upcoming football event for the next three years.
During the conference, Fabio emphasised that this major volleyball event is organised to empower women and foster grassroots growth in volleyball. He also mentioned that the FIVB Beach Pro Tour would take place in Odisha with a partnership with KIIT & KISS from 2026-28. It would leverage the universities' extensive sports infrastructure and the favourable environment in Odisha.
Furthermore, to encourage women's empowerment and develop volleyball as part of KIIT & KISS's Kanya Kiran initiative, a workshop was held for women coaches. There were over 500 participants from Odisha, and more than 200 players and coaches from across India and the globe. The purpose of this workshop is to train and empower women volleyball coaches who will train future players, benefiting approximately 50,000 volleyball players.
International volleyball coaches John Kessel and Jana Kulan also attended the mega volleyball event and actively provided on-court training, advanced skill sessions, coach-development workshops, and public participation programs. It took place across four major indoor courts, along with more than 40 outdoor courts.
At the press conference, KIIT & KISS founder Achyuta Samanta also underscored the need for collaborations like these to build a better future for women in volleyball.
"Our collaboration with FIVB has introduced world-class skills to Odisha via these workshops. This initiative will offer thousands of girls and women the chance to experience the transformative impact of volleyball", he stated.
Many special sessions and panel discussions happened during Volleyball Mahakumbh. They centred around the significance of volleyball in education, social transformation, and youth empowerment , as well as the critical issues of women's empowerment, equality, and global advancement through the sport.
Notable speakers included Fabio Azevedo, Achyut Samanta, Abhijit B, Abhinav Bindra, John Kesse, and Jana Kulan, getting into more details about these topics. Subsequently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed between FIVB, KIIT, and KISS. During the event, Fabio also unveiled the FIVB-KIIT & KISS Centre of Excellence and launched a sports zone. (ANI)