Paraná, Argentina to present 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball Open

The fifth of seven double-gender Open events on the 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour schedule, Argentina will present the FIVB Paraná Open from October 28 to November 2. It will be the eighth time Argentina has hosted a FIVB World Tour event but the first time in Parana. Last year, a double-gender FIVB Open was held for the first time in Corrientes.

Latvia’s new duo of Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins won the men's gold in Corrientes last year was while Sophie van Gestal/Madelein Meppelink of the the Netherlands topped the podium in the women's competition.

Argentina has hosted a total of five FIVB World Tour events (four men's, one women's) with three events held in Mar del Plata. In the men's competitions, Brazil has five medals, followed by Argentina with two and with one men’s medal each are Australia, Italy, Switzerland and USA.

After one FIVB World Tour women’s event held in Argentina in 2013, Brazil leads the medal parade with two total medals followed by the Netherlands with one.

Paraná is the capital city of the Argentine Province of Entre Rios, located in northeast Argentina on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, opposite the city of Santa Fe which is the capital of the neighboring Santa Fe Province. The city of Paraná has a population of 247,863.

Paraná is not only the head of the provincial government, but also an important river port for the transshipment of cereals, cattle, fish and lumber from the surrounding region. The principal industries deal with the manufacturing of cement, furniture, and ceramics. The center of the city features colonial churches in European styles (the Febrero Theatre and the Government House) as well as the mixed styles of the city's Cathedral, and modern towers like those near the Parque Urquiza park.

The city is connected to the city of Santa Fe on the other side of the Entre Rios by the Hernandarias subfluvial Tunnel, which was opened in 1969.

The eleven FIVB Beach Volleyball Opens on the 2014 FIVB World Tour include seven double-gender, two men-only and two women-only tournaments, adding numerous possibilities for athletes to compete in high quality, FIVB international competition. Over the course of the year more Open events could be added to the schedule, ensuring that all five Confederations will host a FIVB event in 2014.

The 2014 FIVB World Ranking system will include FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam and Open events along with additional pre-approved events at the inter-continental, continental and national levels.

Implemented in 2013, the format of all the FIVB Beach Volleyball international tournaments – whether FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam or FIVB Beach Volleyball Open – are the same, featuring pool play followed by single elimination knockout rounds.