Pingtan to hold national beach volleyball game

Athletes compete in the 2018 National Beach Volleyball Tournament held in Pingtan, Fujian province. [Photo/ptnet.cn]

The 2019 National Beach Volleyball Tournament is slated to open in Pingtan, East China's Fujian province on May 16.

The event is jointly sponsored by the State General Administration of Sport, Fujian Provincial Bureau of Sport and Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone Administrative Committee.

According to the organization committee, 65 professional teams- 37men teams and 28 women teams- have confirmed participation, vying for total prize money of 200,000 yuan ($29,850).

As the first stop of the tour, it will be the third time for Pingtan to hold the national game, with the first in 2017.

Longfengtou Beach, with a coastline of 4.5 kilometers will be the game venue. As the largest natural bathing beach in China, its flat and soft landscapes make it an ideal place for the beach sports like beach volleyball.

The host of the game, scheduled to run until May 19, is set to further improve the global recognition of Pingtan, as the city is actively building itself into an international tourism island.

Pingtan is the nearest mainland jurisdiction to Taiwan, with only 68 sea miles to Taiwan's Hsinchu city.

Medal winners pose for a group picture after the 2018 China's National Beach Volleyball Tournament held in Pingtan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]