The FIVB has announced the beach volleyball calendar for 2021, which will feature eight 4-star events, nine 1 and 2-star events, the World Tour Finals and the U19 World Championships.
The 2021 season, which is already underway with the Katara Cup 2021 in Doha, is set to be full of exhilarating beach volleyball action as the world’s top teams compete for quota places at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Six of the eight 4-star events scheduled will offer Olympic ranking points, including the ongoing 4-star event in Doha, three back-to-back events in Cancun, Mexico from 16 April to 2 May, one event in Sochi, Russia on 26-30 May and one in Ostrava, Czech Republic on 2-6 June. The Olympic Ranking will be officially published on 14th June to determine the 15 highest ranked teams per gender. These teams will earn a quota place for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, respecting the maximum of two quota places per National Olympic Committee.
Beach volleyball players will also have one last chance to practise their craft against the world’s best in a non-Olympic qualification 4-star event in Gstaad, Switzerland on 6-11 July.
While the Olympic ranking list will be released on 14 June, the last remaining quota places per gender and continent will be up for grabs from 21 to 27 June during the five Continental Cup Finals organised by the Continental Confederations.
One of the highlights of the tour, the Cancun Hub, will see the world’s top beach volleyball players visit Cancun, Mexico to compete at three back-to-back 4-star events on 16-20 April, 22-26 April and 28 April - 2 May 2021. This never seen before multi-tournament hub will minimise travel for athletes and feature total prize money of USD 900,000 (USD 300,000 per event).
The FIVB is significantly investing in the Cancun Hub tournaments, and working in collaboration with the Mexican Volleyball Federation, the Quintana Roo local government and the event promoter Moveo-lab, to guarantee athletes the opportunity to compete in a safe environment before the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, while earning ranking points and prize money.
Meanwhile, the FIVB is working closely with the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation and city of Itapema to find a suitable date, possibly in June or July, to stage another 4-star World Tour event.
Following Tokyo 2020, where beach volleyball is set to captivate audiences worldwide, top beach volleyball teams will once again meet in Italy for the World Tour Finals on 8-12 September 2021.
In addition, the U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships has been scheduled for 14-19 September in Roi Et, Thailand. The hosts of the U21 Beach Volleyball World Championships will also be decided at a later stage.
FIVB President Dr Ary S Graça F° said:
“We are delighted to announce the beach volleyball calendar for 2021 with several prestigious stops on the road. The FIVB has invested a total of USD 3 million into this year’s events to support the host countries and promoters during these challenging times, set up the first-ever Cancun Hub, and ultimately to ensure our beach volleyball players have a good number of events to play at prior to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
“Players are at the heart of our sport and we will do whatever it costs to create opportunities for them to return to the court safely. We look forward to more incredible beach volleyball action and wish the best of luck to all the teams as they look to secure their tickets to the Olympic Games.”
The FIVB is in regular contact with other event promoters to schedule additional tournaments as the COVID-19 situation improves and allows for the safe organisation of events in more locations around the world. All additions to the calendar will be announced and confirmed at a later stage.
To download the full beach volleyball calendar, please click here.