Volleyball's governing body had only two presidents for the first 51 years of its existence, so it was something of a surprise when the current incumbent said he would give up his post after only one term.

Wei Jizhong said he will stick by his decision, saying it will allow him to make sure that this year's elections are the most transparent the FIVB has had.

"I had the opportunity to become president, and my goals were to change the image of the FIVB in the sporting world and to make changes in the internal governance according to the following four basic principles: transparency, democracy, delegation of power and supervision," he said.