Prague, Czech Republic, May 22, 2014 – The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour visited Prague four times before, in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, but it has always been a men’s only event.
This year Stvanice stadium hosts a women’s tournament for the first time in history. The reason for this change is simple: the most famous Czech pair Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova deserves it.
“The main principle of this tournament is the promotion of beach volleyball”, said Robert Urbanek, chairman of the Prague Open organizing committee and vice-chairman of the Czech Volleyball Federation.
“On the other hand, we want to help and support our best beach volleyball teams. Nowadays the best Czech pair, which represents us on the World Tour, is Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova.”
In the past, the most outstanding Czech beach volleyball team with the best results was Premysl Kubala/Petr Benes.
“The World Tour event in the Czech Republic was primarily made for them, now the actual situation is different”, Urbanek continues explaining the reasons for organizing a women’s tournament instead.
Kolocova and Slukova came into the spotlights at the 2012 London Olympic Games, where the young team finished 5th among the world’s best teams. Since then this couple is the number one team in Czech beach volleyball.
The Prague Open will be the first opportunity for Czech fans to see them play in a World Tour event on home soil.
The number of spectators at the FIVB Beach Volleyball Prague Open will depend on two factors, according to Urbanek. “The success of the Czech teams and the weather, of course.”
However, the second condition should not be a problem. “We have always had great weather during the previous tournaments”, Urbanek guarantees.
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