Lausanne, Switzerland, June 8, 2018 - Just four days will separate the end of this season's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour at the Finals in Hamburg from August 14 to 19 and the beginning of an exciting new season of the international circuit.
Taking place from August 23 to 26, the new season will begin with a 1-star double gender event in Siofok, Hungary. That tournament will be followed by the first World Tour event at which Olympic ranking points will be awarded in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games, a 1-star double-gender event in Montpellier, France from August 28 to September 1. The two events in Europe will be run in cooperation with the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), as will other 1- and 2-star events in Europe next season. Several indoor events in Europe may be added to the calendar at a later stage.
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After a record number of events in the 2017-2018 season, including 43 men's and 44 women's events, next season promises to bring the sport to even more countries around the world. The World Tour will return to Qinzhou in China for a 3-star double gender event from September 30 to October 4 before visiting Yangzhou for a 4-star double gender event from October 10 to 14.
First events on 2018-2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar:August 23-26: Siofok, Hungary - 1-star - Double gender
August 28-September 1: Montpellier, France - 1-star - Double gender
September 30-October 4: Qinzhou, China - 3-star - Double gender
October 10-14: Yangzhou, China - 4-star - Double gender
Events in Zhongwei, China (September 13-16), and in Iran in Bandar Torkaman (October 2-5), Babolsar (October 9-12) and Bandar-e Anzali (October 16-19) are also planned and more information will be made in due course. Additional events in the 4-star and 1- and 2-star categories may also be confirmed in the near future.
Since 2016 and the introduction of the new ranking system for World Tour tournaments from 1 to 5 stars based on the quality of venue, facilities and technology, the number of events on the calendar each year continues to increase. Competitions ranked 5-star and 4-star are considered the elite events, while those with a lower rating are considered as opportunities to develop the sport around the world, providing more countries with the chance to gain hosting experience and inspire spectators to engage in beach volleyball.
The FIVB is working with promoters to organise additional events in the period from January to August 2019 and to provide players with new opportunities to compete. The deadline for promoters to apply to organise a World Tour event in the second part of the season and for the 2019/2020 season is June 15. The FIVB expects a large number of applications for the five categories of events within the new star structure.
The full calendar of events for 2018-2019 will be announced at the next World Tour Council.