Georgia, Poland, and Türkiye to host 2024 age-group Beach Volleyball European Championships

Georgia, Poland, and Türkiye will be playing host to the 2024 edition of the CEV U18, U20, and U22 Beach Volleyball European Championships, respectively. A variety of National Federations had come forward showing their interest in delivering the continental championships for the stars-in-the-making of the sport – with Kachreti, Myslowice, and Izmir eventually landing the hosting rights. If Myslowice and Izmir are well-known destinations for Beach Volleyball players and fans alike, history will be made in Kachreti – where the Georgian Volleyball Federation will be organising a continental championship of this magnitude for the very first time. 

The U22 competition will be the first to take place in 2024, with the event running at Izmir Inciralti Beach Volleyball Centre from June 6-9. #EuroBeachVolleyU22 returns to Izmir after the 2020 edition was held in the Turkish city as well right at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. A year later and last year as well, the continental championship for the U20 age group was organised in Izmir. The delivery of #EuroBeachVolleyU22 continues a successful run of major international Beach Volleyball events held in Türkiye, most recently the inaugural Beach Volley European Cup in Balikesir. 

Alper Sedat Aslandaş, Vice-President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation, said: “We will be very happy to host #EuroBeachVolleyU22 in Izmir again in 2024. Türkiye is committed to organising high-level events and I believe that we will deliver yet another successful tournament together with our promoter SWS. It has become a tradition for Izmir to host underage Beach Volleyball European Championships regularly. The U22 age group is now regarded almost as a professional level, since most athletes are already competing in Beach Pro Tour events. Therefore, we expect to see very exciting matches in Izmir, and I wish all teams a good preparation.” 

History will be made between July 11-14 in Kachreti, a popular resort in Georgia, with the first Beach Volleyball championship of this stature to take place in the Caucasus country. Georgia has already hosted a few age-group indoor continental championships, but the delivery of #EuroBeachVolleyU18 in 2024 is going to break new ground for the sport in Europe. 

Giorgi Kartvelishvili, President of the Georgian Volleyball Federation, commented: “More and more time and energy are being devoted to the development of the sport for the younger generations. This is evidenced by the fact that the number of tournaments for age groups organised in our country has been growing significantly from year to year. Georgian athletes have successfully competed in this sport at the international level, which has helped increase the motivation of the younger ones. We are honoured to host the U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships. As this is the first time that Georgia will be able to host such an event, it is a great opportunity to popularise the sport in our country, especially since the event will be taking place in the eastern part of Georgia, where Volleyball is indeed a rapidly growing sport. Our country and our people will be a part of a great event that will help grow the game. I believe that the participants will show their full potential and I hope that their attitude will be contagious for future generations.” 

Myslowice in southern Poland is a popular Beach Volleyball hotspot, with a resume including multiple World Tour (now Beach Pro Tour) events as well as age-group World and European Championships. The 2024 edition of #EuroBeachVolleyU20 will run from July 25-28 at Słupna Park. Back in 2004, when Myslowice played host to the U18 competition, future Volleyball superstars Michal Kubiak and Zbigniew Bartman crowned themselves European champions in that age group. 
 
Sebastian Swiderski, President of the Polish Volleyball Federation, said: “Poland is proud to have been regarded as the ‘Volleyland’ for many years now and we are very happy that alongside high-profile Volleyball events, we will also be hosting a Beach Volleyball competition in which young European talents will show their skills in front of the Polish fans. Exactly 20 years after the first ever international event held in Myslowice, a successful U18 European Championship, the best European U20 players will play for the continental title in the same city. In 2023, our women’s team [Malgorzata Ciezkowska/Urszula Lunio] triumphed in this age category and having the championship here in Poland is not only a pleasure but also a step in promoting Beach Volleyball, sport, and a healthy lifestyle among young people, which is one of the missions of our Federation.”