31/03/2020 13:00
CEV Continental Cup Finals postponed in response to coronavirus crisis
2018-2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup
Luxembourg, March 31, 2020. Last Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Prime Minister of Japan agreed to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games until no later than the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. At this stage, the IOC and all International Federations (IFs) are due to hold discussions in order to define any possible changes to the previously agreed qualification process for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad.
While the FIVB liaise with the IOC and the Organising Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to discuss any qualifying process revisions, the CEV and the Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo) have agreed with the FIVB to postpone the final stage of the 2018-2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Olympic qualifying event was due to take place in the Dutch city of Eindhoven from June 22 to 28, 2020, with the eventual winners of the competition in each gender securing a quota place for their respective NOC to enter one team in the Beach Volleyball competition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The CEV, FIVB and Nevobo are currently holding discussions in order to seek for alternative solutions.
The final stage of the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup was due to feature teams from 16 National Federations in each gender. Earlier this month, the CEV announced the postponement until further notice of the second stage of the competition due to take place in mid-May in Austria, Spain and Turkey.
All parties have agreed that the competition cannot go ahead as initially planned, with the health and well-being of athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and everyone associated with our sport as their priority.
Further news and updates on the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup will follow in due course.
Introduced ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, the Continental Cup has accounted for an additional opportunity for National Federations and teams to pursue their Olympic dream. At this stage, however, all members of the Volleyball family wish to join forces and to act in unity and solidarity in order to contribute to the global efforts made to curb the spread of the novel virus.
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