Published: 6 February, 2008, 09:17
Edited: 6 February, 2008, 09:17
Volleyball fans were treated to a global all-star game on Druzhba arena in Moscow on Tuesday. The Russian national team was pitted against the rest of the world.
2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the International Volleyball Federation and 85 years since the sport was introduced in Russia.
To celebrate the occasion an all star event was held in the Russian capital.
The first such game was played back in 2005, when Russian club volleyball had only just begun to raise its profile and many top international players started to flock to the national league.
Since then the country's Super League has attracted the likes of Italian coach Danielle Bagnole, top Brazilian spiker Giba and leading U.S. players Lloy Ball and Clayton Stanley.
The current year is especially important for the Russian head coach Vladimir Alekno whose job it is to take the best possible squad at the summer Olympics in Beijing.
But the Russian and international volleyball stars weren't the only ones in the spotlight at the sold-out Druzhba arena in Moscow.
The country's top government officials led by the President Vladimir Putin put additional pressure on the national team by sitting in the centre row.
The professionals did not flinch in front of the special guests, easily overpowering the world team in three straight sets.