Satun, a southern province of Thailand with world-famous islands and gorgeous beaches, has become a development hub for beach volleyball of Asia when it will host two major competitions this year including the 2018 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in September.
Satun, which lies 985 kilometres south of Bangkok, has already held the AVC Beach Tour Satun-Pak Bara Open for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017. At the last year’s edition, the competition sites at Pak Bara, which has a long sweeping beach with fantastic views over the sea and nearby islands stretching southward, were jam-packed with a horde of enthusiastic fans who survived adversity to boost their favourite teams’ morale despite the night matches.
Following a great success of the past two editions, Satun has been entrusted by the FIVB to host the double-gender FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star Event from April 8 to 11. The AVC also gave the province the green light to organise the 2018 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships between September 25 and 28.
Meanwhile, the AVC have already announced the 2018 AVC & FIVB Beach Volleyball Competition Calendar in Asia, which made 2018 a busy year for Asian beach volleyball.
Australia will get the Asian beach volleyball competition in 2018 off the ground when Shepparton will host the double-gender FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star Event from February 1 to 4, followed by the men’s only FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 3 Stars during February 20 and 24 in Kish Island, Iran. Doha, Qatar and Oman will host the next men’s only FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, with the former organising the 4 Stars meet between March 6 and 10 and the latter the 1 Star event from March 14 to 17.
In March, three Asian beach volleyball tournaments will be held, starting with the Asian Men’s & Women’s U19 Beach Volleyball Championships in Canberra, Australia between March 1 and 3 (Oceania Zone qualifying for Youth Olympic Games and FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships).
After that, Maldives will play host to the Asian Women’s U19 Beach Volleyball Championships from March 20 to 22 (Asian Zone qualifying for Youth Olympic Games and FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships). Fresh from hosting the Women’s U19 competition, Maldives will then organise the Asian Men’s U19 Beach Volleyball Championships between March 25 and 27 (Asian Zone qualifying for Youth Olympic Games and FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships).
In April, two tournaments will by hosted by Thailand comprising the double-gender FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star Event in Satun from April 8 to 11 and the AVC Beach Volleyball Tour “19th Samila Open” in Songkhla during April 14 and 17.
China will then stage the double-gender FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 3 Stars in Xiamen between April 18 and 22, followed by the AVC Beach Volleyball Tour “2nd Can Tho Open” in Can Tho, Vietnam from April 20 to 23 and the double-gender FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star in Langkawi, Malaysia during April 26 and 29.
The other interesting tournaments due to take place in 2018 are as follows.
May 3-6: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (double gender) in Manila, the Philippines
May 4-7: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2 Stars (women’s only) in Nanjing, China
May 9-12: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) “14th Tuan Chau Halong” in Tuan Chau Halong, Vietnam.
May 10-13: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (double gender) in Bangkok, Thailand
May 23-27: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 4 Stars (double gender) in Yangzhou, China
May 31-June 3: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2 Stars (double gender) in Jinjiang, China
June 21-24: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2 Stars (double gender) in Singapore
June 22-25: FIVB Beach Volleybal World Tour 2 Stars (women’s only) in Nantong, China
June 26-July 1: FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships in Nanjing, China
July 12-15: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) in Daegu, Korea
July 18-21: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) in Ulsan, Korea
July 25-29: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 4 Stars (double gender) in Tokyo, Japan
August 2-5: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) in Kochi, India
August 18-September 2: 19th Asian Games in Indonesia
September 25-28: 2018 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in Satun, Thailand
October 1-12: 3rd Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.
May 4-7: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2 Stars (women’s only) in Nanjing, China
May 9-12: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) “14th Tuan Chau Halong” in Tuan Chau Halong, Vietnam.
May 10-13: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (double gender) in Bangkok, Thailand
May 23-27: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 4 Stars (double gender) in Yangzhou, China
May 31-June 3: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2 Stars (double gender) in Jinjiang, China
June 21-24: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2 Stars (double gender) in Singapore
June 22-25: FIVB Beach Volleybal World Tour 2 Stars (women’s only) in Nantong, China
June 26-July 1: FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships in Nanjing, China
July 12-15: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) in Daegu, Korea
July 18-21: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) in Ulsan, Korea
July 25-29: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 4 Stars (double gender) in Tokyo, Japan
August 2-5: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star (women’s only) in Kochi, India
August 18-September 2: 19th Asian Games in Indonesia
September 25-28: 2018 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in Satun, Thailand
October 1-12: 3rd Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.
