For the fifth year in a row, Congress Square will be transformed into a beach with the help of almost 300 metric tons of sand. Last year’s competition was a part of the European Masters’ and Satellite Series, but this year the event is a part of the World Tour. This means that volleyball players from around the world have gotten a chance to compete. “I believe that the presence of 96 pairs form 29 countries says it all. Many of them won’t get an opportunity to compete, but we hope that the Slovenian pairs will be successful,” said the Secretary General of the Slovenian Volleyball Federation Gregor Humerca at a press conference.

Bringing a tournament of this size to downtown Ljubljana represents a major undertaking, but the organizers have been up to the task for years. “We have to build an arena of sorts in the center of Congress Square. The structure must include all the necessary infrastructure. Of course, bringing in 285 metric tons of sand is a significant challenge. We’re trying to create the atmosphere of a real beach in the city – complete with two swimming pools and everything that goes with this setting, including beach chairs and palm trees. We plan many activities; the entertainment program will be interesting, and I believe that all beach volleyball fans will have a great time,” added Simon Rožnik from Extrem, the company tasked to carry out the event on behalf of the Slovenian Volleyball Federation.