Participating teams at the opening ceremony

After the opening ceremony, the first match of the world tourney between host Vietnam and Russia took place.

The four-day event sees athletes from 13 countries and territories, including Austria, Denmark, Japan, Thailand, and the US. It is a sharp increase of participants compared to last year, which involved 18 teams.

Luong Quang Binh from the provincial Department of Culture and Sports said this year is the first time the tournament has seen the participation of young athletes from countries in Europe and America where beach volleyball is popular. He said it is a chance for Vietnamese players to learn from their strong competitors.

All matches will be aired live on VTV6. The event is an activity to welcome the Ha Long-Quang Ninh tourism week, which entails various activities held across the province – home to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site Ha Long Bay

In 2018, the province hosted the National Tourism Year under the theme “Ha Long – Heritage, Wonder, Friendly Destination”. It welcomed a record of over 12 million tourists, up 24 percent year-on-year.-VNA