(BEIJING, May 31) -- The 2007 FIVB Beach Volleyball Women's Challenger is scheduled for August 13-19 at Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground and the organizing committee for the event was formed on Thursday.

Classified second to the International Open, the FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) competitions will provide an excellent opportunity to test the management system, the ground's facilities and the operational capabilities, as the event will be held at the same location during the Olympics.

"We will seriously deal with the FIVB competitions to gain experience for the Olympics," said Cheng Lianyuan, chief organizer and head of Chaoyang District in East Beijing. In its preparatory work, the committee regards the organization of the competitions as its main task, the venue as the base and the venue owner as the logistics supplier, Cheng added.

Twenty four teams, including the world's top ranking teams and two from the host country will take part in the event; the volleyball pitch, for which 17,000 tons of sand will be necessary, should be completed by the end of June, according to the organizers.

FIVB has special requirements for the sand to be used in the beach volleyball competitions. Previously, only the sand produced in the Scandinavian countries was accepted. After repeated geological surveys, the sand produced in Dongfang City, in South China's Hainan Province, has received the certification for the FIVB event.