Beach Volleyball included in Commonwealth Youth Games

NASSAU, Bahamas - The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will take place in Bahamas with beach volleyball included for the first time ever in the competition program.

A total of 24 teams are set to be fielded in beach volleyball, a sport which is due to make its debut on the Commonwealth Games program at Gold Coast 2018.

The men’s tournament will feature Australia, Bahamas, Cyprus, England, Ghana, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, St Lucia, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago.

Contesting the women’s competition will be Australia, Bahamas, Cameroon, England, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, St Lucia, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu.

"Some of the Commonwealth’s finest beachside settings will be the sporting stage for beach volleyball when our exciting and engaging sport is presented for the first time ever at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, and then on the Commonwealth Games program in Gold Coast, Australia a year later in 2018," Ary Graça, President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), said.

"It’s such an exciting time globally for this fast-paced and fast-growing sport and I’ve every confidence that fans will welcome its addition to the program."

The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, due to run from July 19 to 23, will be the largest international sporting event ever to be staged in The Bahamas and the largest-ever edition of the Games with up to 1,300 athletes aged 14 to 18 set to participate.