Lausanne, Switzerland – The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) is pleased to announce that the Sardinian town of Tortoli in Italy will host the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament from June 27 to July 1, giving countries a final chance to clinch two Olympic places per gender at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The date and location of the tournament was announced at the Borsa Internazionale del Turismo in Milan on Friday with president of the Regional Committee of Sardinia, Vincenzo Ammendola attending alongside FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour regulars, European champions Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti and men’s star Matteo Ingrosso.
The double-gender tournament will welcome the second and third ranked countries, represented by two teams, from the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Finals held in the five Continental Confederations` territories. Countries will compete in a country v country format and in "best of three“ matches where in the case of tie, a Golden Set up to 15 points (with a two point lead) can be played.The countries will then be split into two pools of five, playing each other in a round-robin format. The top two countries from each pool will then play each other, with the top nation from the first pool playing the runner-up of the second and vice-versa. The winners of these matches will book themselves a place at the London 2012 Olympic Games, thus completing the Olympic qualification process for beach volleyball at the London Olympics.
"We are very satisfied with the continued partnership with FIPAV, and the event being held in the scenic Tortoli in Sardinia following on from the best FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships ever held in Rome in 2011," FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission president Dr. Ary Graça said. "It is exciting to see Olympic Qualification end after a three-year process having involved 142 countries in 70 tournaments."
"The Beach Volleyball World Cup is another important event for Italian beach volleyball," said Italian Volleyball Federation president Mr Carlos Magri. "After the incredible success of the World Championships in Rome last year we are convinced that beach volleyball is a sport that deserves a great showcase. I’m sure that Sardinia will be a great host, with a lot of teams competeing to book a ticket to London for the Olympic Games, the pinnacle of the sport."
"For us it is an honour to have the opportunity to organize the first edition of the Beach Volleyball World Cup," Mr Ammendola added. "Our magnificent island is ready to host this incredible tournament that represents the last chance to reach London 2012. We are working hard with the hope that the tournament will be unforgettable for all: for the athletes, for the fans that will visit the island and for all those who will work during the event. I’m very excited and I’m sure that the Italian Volleyball Federation and the Regional Committee of Sardinia will make the best of this opportunity."