Teheran, Iran, September 15, 2009 -- Under formal invitation from the Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation, FIVB President Jizhong Wei and his wife, Li Lingpei, are in Iran on a four-day working visit to meet with members of the Volleyball Federation and other local sports organizations.

Dignitaries welcoming President Wei at the VIP pavilion in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on Sunday included General Secretary of The National Olympic Committee of Iran Bahram Afsharzadeh (an old friend of Mr. Wei), Iranian Volleyball Federation President Mohaamad Reza Davarzani, IRIVF Vice President Ahmad Ziaee, and IRIVF General Secretary Saeed Derakhshandeh.

Also on hand were International Affairs Director Ali Fooladi, Director of Protocol Department at the National Olympic Committee Jamal Omid and IRIVF Press Officer Rahim Rahim Zadeh.

Accompanied by Mr. Derakhshandeh, President Wei and his wife visited the beautiful island of Kish in the Persian Gulf to inspect Volleyball facilities there. The IRIVF intends to organize Beach Volleyball championships in Kish in the future and the FIVB President told local reporters that he was pleased with the standard of the facilities, which bodes well for tournaments to be played on the island, a “free zone” that does not require a visa to enter.

President Wei is currently in Tehran and is scheduled to meet with high-ranking sports authorities from the Islamic Republic of Iran before returning to Switzerland on Wednesday to prepare for the start of the annual CAVB Congress on September 24 in Algeria.