The celebration of the International World ParaVolley Day commemorates the official start of the International Federation. On 24 April 1981, World ParaVolley was formally created at a meeting in Bonn, Germany on the occasion of the European Sitting Volleyball Championships.

The current World ParaVolley Board of Directors has approved that International World ParaVolley Day be celebrated annually on 24 April.

This year also marks the four decades of participation of sitting volleyball in the Paralympics and World ParaVolley will celebrate the occasion by recognising individuals for their contribution to sitting volleyball.

The Volleyball England Foundation would like to pass on their congratulations to Gordon Neale OBE, Denis Le Breuilly, Matthew Rogers and Maciej Chodzko -Kajko and their contribution to supporting sitting volleyball over the last 40 years.

In the Coaches section World ParaVolley acknowledged

GORDON NEALE OBE (GBR)• Has been involved in ParaVolley for 34 years.
• Introduced sitting volleyball to Great Britain 1984 and went on to coach until 1994.
• In 1988 received Coach of the Year award for work in sitting volleyball presented by Sir Colin Moynihan, Sports Minister.

MATTHEW ROGERS (GBR)• Helped Great Britain teams to prepare for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
• Started VolleySLIDE aimed at offering guidance and support mechanism to those looking to start with the sport, which was adopted as the World ParaVolley Level 0 Education Programme.
• Supported in establishing the World ParaVolley Level 1 Coaching Course, which focuses on course presentation and connection to Level 0.

Referees

DENIS LE BREUILLY (GBR)
• WOVD/WPV secretary of Referees Commission and chairman of Rules of the Game Commission.
• Had an llustrious career as an International Referee and Referee Delegate.
• Referee Delegate at major events including the Parlaympic Games.

GORDON NEALE OBE (GBR)
• World ParaVolley (WOVD/ISOD) career spans over 34 years (1984 to 2020).
• Became the first sitting volleyball and standing volleyball international referee from Great Britain.
• Officiated at Paralympic Games (sitting volleyball and standing volleyball).

Technical Officials

MACIEJ CHODZKO-ZAJKO (GBR)

• Jury member at WOVD World Championships and London 2012 Paralympic Games.
• Assistant Technical Delegate at World Championships in Poland in 2014.
• WPV Technical Commission chairman since March 2018.

DENIS LE BREUILLY (GBR)
• Technical Delegate at London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
• Organiser of Technical Officials courses, Classification, Refereeing and Coaching Courses for World ParaVolley.
• Responsible for initiating, developing and administering the three-level pathway to International for Referees, Coaches, Classifiers and Technical Officials.

GORDON NEALE OBE (GBR)
• Instrumental in reviving sitting volleyball in 2008 in time for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
• Jury member, Technical Delegate, Assistant Delegate in international and European events and Paralympic Games.
• Organiser, consultant, lecturer, commentator and CEO of Disability Sport England.