The eighth edition of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, will award a total prize money of US$1 million and will be held in the famed sports complex -- the Foro Italico, located next to the 1960 Olympic Stadium.

The Foro Italico will mark it's third consecutive time that it has hosted an FIVB World Tour sports event, with an inaugural Open event held in 2009 and a Grand Slam to take place in May 2010. "Italy has been equal with volleyball for years so it is with our great pleasure that one of the strongest nations in volleyball will host such an important FIVB event," FIVB Executive Vice President and President of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission Mr. Ary Graça said. "With the world's top beach volleyball competitors performing at one of the most inspirational venues on the World beach volleyball Tour, we are anticipating another high quality edition of the FIVB World Sports Championships to continue to build from strength to strength."

"I am extremely grateful for this influential commitment," CONI Servizi CEO Mr. Raffaele Pagnozzi said. "We are extremely proud that the FIVB has given Italy the honor of hosting such a famous sports event such as this and be held in Foro Italico, fully respecting architectural aspects and monuments of the historical area of Rome." "Rome has a dedicated history when it comes to hosting key sports events, such as the Olympic Games and the recently concluded swimming world sports championships," Italian Volleyball Federation President Carlo Magri said. "The Italian Volleyball Federation is honored to have this new sports event, which is the most celebrated sports tournament of a discipline and in a couple of years will become one of the most followed and practiced sports in the world. For Italy to host the FIVB Volleyball and Beach Volleyball World Championships in successive years is an exemplification to the high esteem our Federation is held internationally."

The 2011 FIVB World Beach Volleyball Championships will consist of 96 athletes (48 per gender), double the number of competitors present at the Olympic Games, with men and women beach volleyball competitors competing for $500,000 in prize money per gender in the largest stadium on the FIVB World Tour where 10,000 beach volleyball sports fans will partake in the action. Previous FIVB World Sports Championships included the successful 2009 edition in Stavanger, Norway. Other editions: 2007 - Gstaad, Switzerland; 2005 - Berlin, Germany; 2003 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 2001 - Klagenfurt, Austria; 1999 - Marseille, France; 1997 - Los Angeles, USA. Prior to 1997, the World Volleyball Sports Championships were played annually in Brazil since 1986.