FIVB opens new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) on Friday opened its new headquarters in the Swiss city of Lausanne, ending its renting of offices since its foundation in 1947.

"The FIVB is proud to receive you with open arms and with joy we extend you a warm welcome to our new premise," FIVB President Ruben Acosta said at the opening ceremony, which was attended by over 300 guests.

The building, or Chateau Les Tourelles, was built in 1867 and became a holiday destination for high-class families from Europe, mainly Britain.

It was built on the gentle slope by the Leman Lake, enjoying luxurious surroundings and a majestic backdrop of the French and Swiss Alps.

The FIVB spent three years on renovation as the building has been abandoned for 12 years before it was purchased by the federation.

FIVB officials refused to give the cost of their new headquarters. However, sources say that the villa costs FIVB 30 million U.S. dollars.

"This place must be much more than an administrative center: it must be a place with life and it must have a soul," he told the guests including Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, and heads of volley associations around the world.

Expressing his congratulations, Rogge said that it is "a milestone" in the development of volleyball movement, adding that the inauguration of the building also increase the prestige of Lausanne as the "Olympic capital."

Acosta praised the efforts of the previous generations of leaders of the FIVB in promoting volleyball.

After generations of work, volleyball, including beach volleyball, has been recognized as "one of the most popular Olympic sports on TV with 3.5 billion television viewers/hour," Acosta said.

"This place represents the crowning of the efforts of several generations including the first pioneers," he added.