FIVB World Tour women's beach volleyball event in China relocated ( 2003-07-07 16:31) (Xinhua)
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has changed the venue for the
SWATCH-FIVB Women' s Open in China to the eastern coastal city of Lianyungang,
near Shanghai, which has been cleared by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The August 13-17 event in Lianyunggang, north of Shanghai in an area that has
suffered only seven cases of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and
has been cleared by WHO.
WHO has now lifted all their travel restriction advice for all countries
affected by the SARS epidemic, according to Annie Peytavin, head of the FIVB
Medical Commission.
"This is a good solution for us as it is very important to save the
tournament," said FIVB Beach Volleyball Coordinator, Angelo Squeo, acknowledging
the help of the China Volleyball Assocation and the event's promoters for their
support in finding a solution to the problem.
Squeo said that although it was obviously a disadvantage for the organizers
to have to move the event, the health and safety of the players was paramount.
"With this move we have acknowledged the players' concern and acted to find a
suitable and safer solution. We hope that they will now respond by supporting
the tournament, which is very important in the global context of our sport,"
Squeo added.
The move follows a meeting with women players at last week's Gstaad Open in
Switzerland, where they expressed concern about traveling to the original
location. An inspection of the new proposed venue will be made by FIVB officials
July 11-14 and players will be able to fly from the event in Osaka, Japan to
Beijing and/or Shanghai with connecting flights to be arranged to the city of
Lianyungang.
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