KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Langkawi is set for the return of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour — Malaysia open — to Pantai Cenang on April 26-29, said organiser E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd recently.
“E-Plus is excited to welcome the international FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour back for a second year running. Taking the cue from the benchmark set and success of the inaugural edition in 2017, we are looking forward to continue building on the growing appeal of the sport in the region,” said E-Plus Global CEO Andrew Ching.
With FIVB as the governing body for the Olympic sport, the Malaysia leg is part of the World Tour 1-Star (WT1) tournament and follows just concluded events in Satun (Thailand) and Xiamen (China).
After Langkawi, the WT1 moves to Manila and Bangkok.
Through the participation of Malaysian competitors in last year’s tourney, both the men and women’s competition in Langkawi is seen as a significant development in beach volleyball here.
“It is gratifying that FIVB has continued to entrust us to host this world class Beach Volleyball World Tour. It is a massive boost in our development of Malaysia’s own home-grown talents,” added Malaysia Association (MAVA) president Datuk Benny Hoe.
Langkawi Authority Development (LADA) CEO Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin was also upbeat.
“We welcome both fans and competitors back to picturesque Pantai Cenang. Having this international competition here for a second successive year is a boost to our global tourism efforts in promoting Langkawi as a premier destination and in generating robust micro-economic activity,” he said.
The tournament starts on Friday with the single eliminations before the group phase, Saturday will be the round of 12 and quarterfinals.
Semifinals and finals will be on Sunday.
