GENEVA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Volleyball World on Monday launched the 'Equal Jersey' campaign, which will see the sport's top players champion gender equality by wearing a special edition jersey featuring their own name and that of a player of the opposite gender.
Male and female players who share the same jersey number will wear each other's names on their jerseys for the first time at the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2021 Finals on June 25 and 27. The special edition jerseys will be worn during the finals to highlight how in the sport of volleyball, the players and the fans all strive to challenge the inequality which frequently exists between genders in the world of sport.
Three pairs of players have been confirmed as the first Equal Jersey ambassadors, including: Lauren Carlini (USA) and Facundo Conte (ARG) sharing the No. 7 Equal Jersey, Natalia Goncharova (RUS) and Wallace de Souza (BRA) sharing No. 8, and Eda Erdem (TUR) and Nimir Abdel-Aziz (NED) sharing No. 14.
"Volleyball World is proud to be a leading advocate for promoting gender equality in sport. Gender equality and inclusivity are in volleyball's DNA and we will always refuse to accept the status quo," said Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor. "By launching the Equal Jersey campaign, we aim to showcase that volleyball is universal. It brings people together and players and fans cheer for all, championing equality, diversity and inclusion as a limitless strength," Taylor added.
Volleyball World is the commercial entity for the sport of volleyball around the world, with the goal of increasing the profile and popularity of the sport. Enditem