Tokyo, August 17, 2006: With Brazil, Cuba and Korea in town for the opening weekend of the FIVB World Grand Prix, no wonder Ariake Coliseum is a sell-out.

Host broadcaster Fuji Television declared on Thursday that all tickets had been snapped up for the mouth-watering three days of double-headers at the 9,000-capacity venue in Tokyo Bay.

Defending Grand Prix champions Brazil will play the first match on Friday afternoon against Korea, with Japan taking on the feisty Cubans in the evening's main course.

On Saturday it's Cuba against Brazil, followed by Japan and Korea, and Sunday sees Cuba playing Korea and Japan wrapping up against Brazil, who will be shooting for a third consecutive Grand Prix title and sixth in all.

The Managing Director of the Japan Volleyball Association, Norio Yamagishi, said the popularity of volleyball in Japan was on the rise and developing in a positive way with many spectators.

"This World Grand Prix is a big promotional event for the FIVB World Championships in the autumn, so we are expecting high and exciting performances from all the teams," he said at the General Technical Meeting on Thursday evening at Ariake Coliseum.

The fans clearly expect the same, and will create an electric atmosphere in the steeply-banked arena, which is better known as a tennis venue.

The four head coaches assembled for the official Press Conference after the General Technical Meeting, and much attention focused on Japan's fierce regional rivals, Korea.

Head coach Kim Myeong-Soo explained that half the team members were new to this group, and that he had particularly high hopes for 16-year-old all-rounder Bae Yoo-Na and 17-year-old setter Han Soo-Ji. Both players have been promoted from the Korean team which played in the FIVB Girls' Under 18 World Championship in Macau, China, last summer.

"Half our team are new members, so this will be a good opportunity for them to get experience and improve," Kim said.

"The Korean season was very long, so we have had only one month to prepare and several players are injured.

"But the team is well organised and there is good harmony between the new members and the veteran players."

Korea will play Japan on Saturday evening, and Japan's head coach, Shoichi Yanagimoto, is expecting another tough battle.

"We are used to playing neck-and-neck games against Korea and I expect this to be the same," he said. "Our style of play is similar so there will be good tension. The mood in our team is very positive."