VFI — Volleyball Federation of India

What is the VFI?

The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) is the national volleyball federation of India. The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) lists it as the “VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION OF INDIA” under its Central Asia Zonal Association, with its website at volleyballindia.com.^[1] In place of a president, the AVC entry shows a “VFI Steering Committee”, with “Steering committee chair: Rohit Rajpal”.^[1]

What does the VFI govern or do?

The VFI is administered by its Steering Committee, which comprises representatives of the FIVB and the Indian Olympic Association and holds “temporary administrative competence”, according to a single agency report of 23 April 2026. Its stated tasks are to safeguard the sport in India and to look after athlete welfare.^[3]

On 3 September 2026 the committee issued a policy, notified by its chairman, Rohit Rajpal, covering men’s and women’s professional volleyball leagues across India, according to a single report in Telangana Today.^[4]

When was the VFI founded and where is it based?

The AVC reported that elections to the VFI were held on 8 June 2025 in New Delhi, conducted by a VFI Ad Hoc Committee chaired by Rohit Rajpal and observed by representatives of the FIVB, the Indian Olympic Association and India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Virender Kanwar was elected president and Ramanand Choudhary secretary general.^[2] The AVC described the new leadership as an interim body, assisted by a steering committee established by the FIVB and the Indian Olympic Association, and required to propose amendments to the VFI constitution to align it with the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.^[2]

How is the VFI recognised?

FIVB. The FIVB Board of Administration revoked the VFI’s provisional recognition with immediate effect under Articles 1.5.3 and 1.9.1 of the FIVB General Regulations, according to a single agency report carried by DT Next on 23 April 2026. The FIVB’s statement, as quoted in that report, says that requirements “have not been respected by the interim leadership of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI)”. The stated outcome was the grant of “temporary administrative competence” to a steering committee “comprising representatives from the FIVB and the Indian Olympic Association”, whose members the report lists as Rohit Rajpal, Raghuram Iyer, Steve Tutton, Stephen Bock and Hitesh Malhotra.^[3]

AVC. As of October 2026, the Asian Volleyball Confederation lists the VFI, under its steering committee, in its directory of national federations.^[1]

What does the VFI organise?

Professional leagues. As reported by Telangana Today, the steering committee’s policy of 3 September 2026 sorts leagues into Division I, II and III according to scale, structure and level of competition, and applies the rule “One Athlete – One League – One Season”, under which a player may take part in only one licensed league in each Indian volleyball season.^[4] It sets separate league calendars for men’s and women’s competitions in the 2026–27 season, and makes permission to organise a league subject to the submission and approval of proposals.^[4]

Who are its members?

The federation’s structure includes State and District Associations. In June 2025 the AVC reported that the federation’s leadership was required to propose amendments to the constitutions of the State and District Associations as well as its own, and to file a report with a proposed timeline with the Court.^[2] The same report stated that an Interim Athletes’ Commission was to be set up within four weeks of the election, and that elected athlete representatives “will make up 25 per cent of the Executive Committee”.^[2]