Beach Volleyball Commission helps draft ambitious plans for 2025

The members of the European Beach Volleyball Commission (EBVC) had their first plenary in-person meeting of the 2024-2028 term on Monday at the home of European Volleyball in Luxembourg. Many have returned to share their skills and expertise with the Volleyball family for another mandate, whereas others have joined the EBVC ranks for the very first time, thereby expanding representation in terms of background, countries, and skillsets. 

EBVC President Tomislav Šmuc welcomed all members, especially the latest additions to the Commission, with the first session of the meeting focused on reviewing the accomplishments of an exciting 2024 season which did achieve remarkable standards in terms of event delivery and participation. Major highlights included the final stage of the Olympic-qualifying Nations Cup held in Jurmala, Latvia, and the 2024 edition of EuroBeachVolley organised across three cities in the Netherlands. 

The 2024 season has been truly successful for European teams competing on the international stage, as they secured more than 50% of the medals at stake in the Beach Pro Tour as well as at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the feet of the Eiffel Tower, Sweden’s David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig claimed men’s gold in an all-European final match with Germany’s Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers, with Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway completing a full sweep of the medals by European teams. Moreover, Switzerland’s Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner followed in the footsteps of their countrywomen Joana Mäder (Heidrich)/Anouk Vergé-Dépré to claim Olympic bronze as well – as the latter tandem had done in Tokyo. European teams also accounted for more than 50% of the athletes contesting Beach Pro Tour events across the globe. 

Further discussions revolved around the current CEV development strategy and events portfolio, with focus on plans for the season ahead, which shall feature highlights such as EuroBeachVolley in Düsseldorf, Germany, and the Nations Cup. 

To foster their involvement and stimulate their continuous support of the CEV operations, the EBVC members were divided into focus groups working on Strategic Planning, Regulatory Framework, Supervisors Support, and Events Promotion. Their ideas and proposals will help support the future, further growth of competitions such as the Beach Nations Cup and the Beach Volley European Cup first introduced in 2023. These groups will be working throughout the year thereby supporting the daily work and tasks of the CEV Beach Volleyball Department based in Luxembourg.