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Netherlands to host 2008 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships

After hosting local, national and European Beach Volleyball tournaments for several years, the Netherlands will stage its first-ever international event from July 30 to August 3 as The Hague will be the site for the SWATCH FIVB World Championships for players under the age of 19. The Hague, the third-largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam with a population of nearly 500,000, is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea and comprises two distinct beach towns. The main beach resort Scheveningen, in the northwestern part of the city, is a popular destination for tourists and young people with 10 million visitors a year. The Hague offers a unique blend of versatility, service and quality. The hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs make Scheveningen one of the best known trendy resorts on the North Sea. Kijkduin, on the other hand, is smaller and more suited to those who live at a slower pace.



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These events have been critical to create a new generation of Beach Volleyball athletes," said Angelo Squeo, the FIVB Beach Volleyball Events Director. "In a few years, these players will challenge for SWATCH FIVB World Tour medals and vie for berths in future Olympic Games. The winners of these events will also be rewarded by the FIVB and the respective organizers with wild cards and free transportation to take part in the main draw of a SWATCH FIVB World Tour event in 2008 or 2009." Squeo was also pleased that "the Netherlands was organizing such important events as the Dutch have a solid tradition in Volleyball and are now developing a very competitive Beach Volleyball program with a strong interest for this discipline at any level."



While Brazilians have dominated the FIVB Under-21 competition, the Under-19 event has seen the medal and "final four" count distributed among 18 countries. The German men and the Dutch women have each captured two gold medals. The Polish team of Michal Kadziola and Jakub Szalankiewicz gave their country the lead on the men's medal list by capturing the 2007 Under-19 title. Germany was denied a women's podium placement for the first time in 2007 as the Netherland's Danielle Remmers and Michelle Stiekema claimed the 2007 title. The Dutch team of Sanne Keizer and Arjanne Stevens won the first-ever women's gold medal when the competition was for players under the age of 18. The age for the competition was changed in 2005 for players under the age of 19.

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