The FIVB has welcomed the efforts of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) to try and find a safe way to restart the European beach volleyball season in accordance with the guidance of medical experts and international health authorities.
The Confederation is aiming to deliver several 1 and 2-star Beach Volleyball World Tour events later this summer.
The organisers of the inaugural 2-star event in Klaipeda, Lithuania, originally scheduled for 2-5 July, have announced plans to postpone the tournament to 17-30 August, with further updates to follow in early June. The women’s event in Klaipeda would be the first Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament in history held in Lithuania, where beach volleyball has experienced a steady growth in the past ten years.
In addition, a 2-star women’s event is scheduled to take place from 10-12 July in Larnaka, Cyprus, and the organisers are currently holding talks with national and local authorities to postpone the event until September. Fortunately, due to Cyprus’ long Mediterranean summers, the event will likely still benefit from sunshine, the perfect weather for beach volleyball.
In another historic first, the Beach Volleyball World Tour was due to visit Ireland this summer, with a 1-star men’s event scheduled to take place on 17-19 July in Bettystown, the very same place that hosted a Continental Cup event last year.
However, following a thorough assessment and in consideration of medical and local government guidelines, Volleyball Ireland has expressed its desire to postpone the event to a later date.
Any further updates on the Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar will be announced at a later stage.