In a video, Graça also highlighted the adaptation of the beach volleyball Olympic qualification system and the decision to reschedule next year's World Championships to 2022 due to the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to 2021.

The Tokyo Games were delayed by a year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which to date has resulted in more than 11.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the deaths of at least 533,000 people.

Graça also talked about last year's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Hamburg in Germany, which attracted 158 million viewers worldwide.

He called it a "spectacular event" but volleyball, like all sports, has this year been severely disrupted by the pandemic.

The 2022 edition of the World Championships will take place in Italy's capital of Rome.

Graça said: "Like all sports, beach volleyball has been significantly affected by the current crisis, but rest assured we are working hard to ensure it can return stronger.

"We are also working on the calendar for next year's World Tour events.

"With this revised schedule we want to provide our athletes with certainty.

"With our athletes in mind, we have also taken the strong decision to move next year's Beach Volleyball World Championships to 2022.

"I have complete confidence that Italy will host an incredible event in 2022 and that our athletes will showcase the best of our sport, just as they did in 2019 at the World Championships in Hamburg.

"Beach volleyball holds a special place in my heart and like many of you, I'm missing it dearly, but I would like to finish with a message of hope.

"When beach volleyball returns, there is no doubt that it will once again charm us all with its inspiring action and grace."

The Netherlands is due to host beach volleyball's first event since the COVID-19 outbreak in March, with the King of the Court tournament planned for Utrecht from September 9 to 12.