Swapping sand for snow: Moscow to host winter Volleyball European Tour
This week the Snow Volleyball European Tour will make a stop in Moscow featuring the world’s strongest teams, who will be competing for a total of €10,000 ($11,370) prize money.
The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 20 to 22 at the Vodny Stadium “Dynamo” in Moscow.
Snow volleyball is a relatively new sport but is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world. It is similar to the beach volley but is played with three players per each side instead of two.
Pursuing a bid to be included into Winter Olympics, the sport was demonstrated at the 2018 PyeongChang Games as part of an exhibition program with Olympic champions Brazilian Emanuel Rego and Vladimir Grbic of Serbia presenting the game to the curious crowd.
Team Red win the tie-break and the Snow Volleyball Night exhibition match in PyeongChang!More photos on:https://t.co/7W1UezOFqipic.twitter.com/jLxDQ7ooeg
— Volleyball World (@FIVBVolleyball) February 14, 2018
With the introduction of a winter version, volleyball has evolved into a year-round enterprise with prospects of becoming the first sport to be introduced at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
A total of 30 squads will take part in the competition with 16 trios in both men’s and women’s fields entering the main draw of the event.
Apart from European competitors, teams from Brazil and USA will also be looking to claim the main prize in Moscow, defying subzero temperatures that plummeted down to -10 C.
