23/10/2020 09:00
Obituary – CEV Honorary Member Jacques Shaw (87)
News from the CEV
Paris/Montpellier, France, October 23, 2020. The European Volleyball family mourns the death of CEV Honorary Member Jacques Shaw, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 87. Shaw was President of the French Volleyball Federation from 1999 to 2004, a member of the CEV Board of Administration from 2001 to 2011 – and a CEV Honorary Member since 2012.
Shaw, himself a Volleyball player in his teens, was a true Volleyball enthusiast. Last year, he joined the European Volleyball family and CEV President Aleksandar Boričić in Montpellier for the EuroVolley 2019 Men match between France and Greece to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the men’s European Championship organised in his home country back in 1979. Shaw was still very much interested in Volleyball even in his late years and he especially enjoyed meeting some of the players and officials he had mentored and supported throughout his career as a highly esteemed sports official.
Jacques Shaw was instrumental to the establishment, back in 1983, of the National Volleyball Centre (CNVB) in Montpellier (whose main hall currently bears his name) - at the time the first such environment in Europe specifically designed to grow Volleyball talents. This sort of ‘factory of champions’ has produced most of the players who have represented France internationally ever since – including most of the ‘Bleus’ due to compete at the re-scheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Jacques Shaw (right) portrayed together with his long-time friend and former member of the CEV Board of Administration Thanassis Beligratis of Greece, himself a CEV Honorary Member since 2012
Mr Shaw was manager of the French national teams as well as President of the French Volleyball Federation from 1999 to 2004. Under his tenure, France claimed their only FIVB World Championship medal to this date, a bronze from the 2002 edition held in Argentina, as well as silver at the European Championship held a year later in Germany – with the same group of players going on to represent France at the Athens 2004 Olympics. He was also the man behind the establishment, in 2004, of the National Association of Volleyball Referees (ANAVB).
“I am very touched by the death of Jacques Shaw, whom I knew since my childhood, when I started playing Volleyball, around the age of 11-12,” says Eric Tanguy, President of the French Volleyball Federation and a newly elected member of the CEV Board of Administration. “I have always been very close to him. I do not forget that Jacques brought me to the Federation for the first time. If he had not been there, I surely would not be president today. He leaves a huge legacy to French Volleyball. He was still there with us a year ago to attend the matches of the French men’s team at EuroVolley, happy as usual and in love with volleyball until his last day. It is therefore with great sadness that we have learned of his death.”
CEV President Aleksandar Boričić and all members of the CEV Board of Administration wish to extend heartfelt condolences to Mr Shaw’s family and relatives. A true Volleyball passionate has left us, but his legacy will remain forever.
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