Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 6, 2017 – Just over a week away from the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Malaysia Open, the FIVB is pleased to confirm the entry list which consists of 32 teams from 17 countries. The event will take place at Langkawi’s famous Pantai Cenang on Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16.
Entry list - MenEntry list - WomenRio 2016 Olympians Nivaldo Gomez and Sergio Gonzalez from Cuba, and the United States’ Emily Stockman and Kimberly Dicello will highlight the event as the Entry Points leaders in the men’s and women’s charts respectively. Malaysia’s Elangovan Yogeswaran and Luk Teck Hua will be one of ten teams representing the host country at the event.
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Langkawi - Schedule and resultsFIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2017Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Beach VolleyballFIVB.com - Beach VolleyballLatest VideosFacebookTwitterInstagramMedia Guides"Top beach volleyball players will muster in the picturesque Pantai Cenang for a heated battle," said Andrew Ching, promoter and organiser of the tournament. "The location will be a first-time venue for every player. Hence this will level the playing field during the tournament. Moreover, the winning team for each gender will be honoured as the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour champion in Malaysia’s history.”
“Beach volleyball is an Olympic sport, and the interest towards it is steadily growing in Malaysia. With the inclusion of 10 local teams into the list, this will popularise the sport in the country,” said Dr. Gregory Hii, President of the Malaysian Volleyball Association. He also wished the Malaysian teams the best of luck in their games.
USA's Emily Stockman (left) watching Kimberly Dicello receive the Mikasa
The 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour – Malaysia Open will be split into four rounds: the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. A total of $20,000 (approximately RM89,000) in prize money will be given away. The winning team for each gender will receive a cash prize of $2,000 (approximately RM8,900), followed by $1,500 (approximately RM6,700) for the first runner-up, $1,200 (approximately RM5,300) for the second runner-up, $900 (approximately RM4,000) for the third runner-up, $500 (approximately RM2,300) per team from the fifth to eighth place, and $300 (RM1,400) per team from the ninth to sixteenth place.
Malaysia will host the second 1-Star World Tour tournament of the year, following the event in Shepparton, Australia on March 4 and 5. After Langkawi, other 1-Star events will take place in the Principality of Monaco, Pacific Harbour in Fiji, Daegu and Ulsan in South Korea and Agadir in Morocco.