CEV, Luxembourg. The Dutch city of The Hague and more specifically the iconic beach of Scheveningen will be playing host to the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Finals from June 23 to 26, 2021! The winners of this competition played according to the exciting and highly entertaining ‘country vs. country’ format will secure a spot for their National Federation / National Olympic Committee to compete at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The CEV Board of Administration confirmed the Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo) as the organisers of this Olympic qualifying event at their latest meeting held in late February in Luxembourg. The Continental Cup Finals were originally due to take place in June of 2020 in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. However, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the Olympic Games in Japan’s capital resulted in the decision to re-schedule the second phase and Finals of the CEV Continental Cup to May and June 2021, respectively.
Teams from 16 countries per gender will compete in Scheveningen in an effort to fulfil their Olympic dream and secure a ticket to Tokyo. Back in 2016, Austria and the Netherlands emerged victorious from the men’s and women’s competition at the Continental Cup Finals held in Stavanger, Norway. As with the previous editions, teams qualified for the Olympics through the FIVB Ranking will not be eligible to compete in the final stage of the Continental Cup.
The Continental Cup Finals will be taking place in a coronavirus-proof stadium similar to the one the organisers delivered for the King of the Court event held in September of 2020 in the city of Utrecht
In close cooperation with the city of The Hague, the Dutch Volleyball Federation and promoters Sportworx are already working hard to deliver a successful event, with the aim of making sure that spectators can follow the action on site through the provision of a COVID-19 compliant stadium.
“The Netherlands have a proven track record in the delivery of major Beach Volleyball competitions,” says CEV President Aleksandar Boricic, “and the concept they have developed for the Continental Cup Finals makes us confident that our elite athletes will enjoy ideal conditions while they pursue the fulfilment of their Olympic dream. We share the wish of the organisers to deliver a safe environment for all involved, while at the same time providing fans with an opportunity to follow such an exciting competition on site. The players have been missing the extra ‘push’ they can get from the audience and we hope that the event in The Hague will coincide with the return of some sort of normalcy after dealing with the unprecedented challenges brought by the global health crisis.”
Peter Sprenger, President of the Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo): “It is great that we have succeeded in re-organising the Continental Cup Finals in the Netherlands. After the cancellation of last year’s tournament, a lot of hard work was done to have this special event in the Netherlands. We have been among the world’s best in Beach Volleyball with our men and women for years. To be able to host the European Olympic Qualifier is a unique opportunity, for which there is no better place than the beach of The Hague. We look forward to a wonderful battle for the last tickets to Tokyo.”
Hilbert Bredemeijer, Councillor for Education, Sports, and Outdoor Space in The Hague: “I am extremely proud of the many years of collaboration that The Hague has with the Nevobo to further professionalise the Beach Volleyball sport and to put both the sport and the city on the map with great events. For years, The Hague has been a regular stop on the calendar for international Beach Volleyball events, the absolute eye-catchers being the Beach Volleyball World Championship in 2015 next to Parliament and the 2018 CEV European Beach Volleyball Championships at Sportcampus Zuiderpark, which is also the home of Beach Volleyball Team Netherlands. It is great that we can now also be the host city of the CEV Continental Cup Finals and that our top athletes can compete for the last tickets to the Olympic Games in their own city. We can once again put ourselves on the map as the Beach Volleyball capital of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, we are currently living in difficult times and it remains to be seen what will and will not be possible with regard to spectators at these top sports competitions by then. Whether it is live on the beach or live on TV, I am happy that we can enjoy our top players again and that they can continue to inspire us with their top performances.”
Wilco Nijland, COO of promoter Sportworx: “In addition to the fact that Sportworx is internationally active as organiser of King of the Court, we have been organising the Dutch Beach Volleyball tour and the national championships since 2017. Our connection with the Dutch and international players is great and to now get this opportunity to organise the last chance of qualifying for the Olympics together with the Nevobo and the CEV is a logical consequence of everything we already do. We are very motivated to show the “Sportworx vibe” at this tournament, the Continental Cup Finals, and to organise a wonderful innovative event for players, spectators, the city of The Hague, CEV and all other partners.”
The list of major Beach Volleyball events held in the Netherlands is almost endless, including highlights such as the 2015 World Championships and 2018 European Championships, as well as most recently the innovative ‘King of the Court’ that has drawn positive reviews from players, media and sponsors alike.
The second phase of the Continental Cup will be taking place in early May in Baden (Austria), Madrid (Spain) and Izmir (Turkey) and will define the countries joining the Netherlands at the Olympic qualifying Finals in The Hague.
Click here for further information on the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup or visit the official event website https://beachroadtotokyo.cev.eu/en/.
