Yangzhou beach volleyball tourney postponed over virus fear

A beach volleyball tournament in Yangzhou, China, originally scheduled for April 22-26 has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The FIVB said the tournament will be rescheduled after the Tokyo Olympics. That means players hoping to earn points they need to qualify for the Summer Games will have one less opportunity to rise in the rankings.

Another tournament is scheduled in China at Siming the following week and a third is scheduled for Jinjiang from May 13-17.

“The FIVB expresses its deepest sympathy and solidarity to the whole volleyball community in China, following the impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on the country, its people and the millions of passionate volleyball players and fans,” the international governing body said in a statement. “We understand that China is taking all necessary measures to contain the outbreak, so that it can reassume its rightful place on the world volleyball stage as soon as possible.”

The bulk of the Olympic beach volleyball field is filled by two-person teams that earn points on the FIVB tour over a two-year period. Yangzhou and Siming are four-star events, awarding more points than all but the four major tournaments. The Jinjiang tournament is a three-star.

(Pic Credit: Representative Image/ Pixabay)