BHUBANESWAR, OCT 4
The KISS Volleyball Festival, heralded as the world’s largest volleyball tournament, was inaugurated on Friday by Dr. Ary S. Graça, President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). This landmark event, organized in collaboration with KIIT, KISS, and FIVB, marks a significant milestone in the sporting arena.
The inauguration was attended by notable figures, including Jennifer Larson, U.S. Consul General in Hyderabad; Fabio Azevedo, General Director of FIVB; Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS; and key academic leaders from both institutions.
In his address, Dr. Graça expressed optimism that the festival would embody FIVB’s mission of community engagement through volleyball. He praised KISS as a unique institution and emphasized volleyball’s potential as a vehicle for promoting peace and non-violence worldwide.
U.S. Consul General Larson expressed her appreciation for the event, underscoring the importance of such inspiring initiatives and reaffirming the U.S. commitment to supporting them.
Dr. Samanta highlighted the scale of the festival, noting that alongside the impressive 5,000 participating athletes, over 40,000 spectators were present to witness the excitement. He also extended his gratitude to Dr. Graça, who travelled to India specifically for this occasion. The festival has been submitted for consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the largest volleyball tournament.
During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between KISS and FIVB aimed at fostering the growth of volleyball in Odisha and across India. This agreement seeks to utilize the volleyball infrastructure at KISS to cultivate future talent.
In a significant development, KIIT and KISS announced the launch of the ‘Samanta-Graça’ scholarship, designed to support 2-3 outstanding volleyball players from around the globe, enabling them to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate education at KIIT and KISS.
