30/07/2014 16:11
Pools for Continental Cup 2nd Round are drawn
2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup - Men & Women
Luxembourg, July 30, 2014. The Drawing of Lots for the 2nd Round of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup was held on Wednesday at the CEV headquarters in Luxembourg. The competition will involve teams from as many as 25 countries who were split into four double-gender tournaments scheduled for August/September. The 2nd Round of the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup will feature the teams that were ranked 3rd to 5th following the eight 1st Round tournaments held in June.
The CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup – 2nd Round will be played following the “country vs. country” format that has received the appreciation and positive review of players, fans and media alike. Teams were drawn by taking into account their ranking in the 1st Round as well as the geographical distribution already used for the previous stage of the competition. On top of this, National Federations competing in both genders were placed in the same Pool; countries ranked third in the 1st Round and coming from the same pool were automatically placed into different groups.
The winners and runners-up of each 2nd Round Pool will join the 1st and 2nd placed of the 1st Round tournaments as well as the top eight (8) National Federations from the CEV Country Ranking as of December 31, 2013 (Men: Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Spain, Austria and Russia; Women: Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Spain) to compose the 32 teams that will contest the 3rd Round of the competition coming up next year.
The composition of the 2nd Round Pools reads as follows:
Zone A
Pool A in Denmark
Men: Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Iceland, Luxembourg
Women: Denmark, Slovenia, Hungary, Iceland, Luxembourg
Pool B in Scotland
Men: Scotland, Ireland, Slovakia, Northern Ireland
Women: Scotland, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland
Zone B
Pool C in Malta
Men: San Marino, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Romania, Moldova
Women: Romania, Latvia, Turkey, Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pool D in Serbia
Men: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Albania, Azerbaijan
Women: Serbia, Estonia, Albania, Azerbaijan
The venues and dates of the above events are to be determined in cooperation with the organisers and will be announced in due course.
“This Drawing of Lots sets the tone for another series of exciting tournaments that we are all looking forward to,” says CEV Vice President and European Beach Volleyball Commission President (EBVC) Renato Arena. “The CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup has confirmed its leading role in supporting the promotion and development of this sport across our Continent. It spreads around the Olympic spirit and encourages up-and-coming teams to test their skills on the international stage; on top of this, the country vs. country format adds extra flavour as two duos per country join their forces to help their nation make a step forward along the way to the fulfilment of their ultimate dream to make it to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.”
About the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup
The winners of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup will be determined in 2016 and these countries will qualify one pair for the Beach Volleyball tournament of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
A total of 44 National Federations, with 40 represented in both genders, registered to participate in the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup. This accounts for an impressive 80% of the CEV member countries, with a terrific increase since the inaugural edition completed in 2012 where 31 and 32 National Federations had joined the men’s and women’s competition respectively.
The following countries are making their debut after missing the inaugural CEV Continental Cup leading up to the 2012 London Olympics: Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Moldova and San Marino. After Great Britain participated in the 2010-2012 edition, this time the home countries England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland have registered to join this quest to fulfil every athlete’s dream to participate in the Olympic Games.
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