Haikou, China, December 22, 2009 – The 2009 Asian Beach Volleyball Championship made its drawing of lots here on Tuesday as 22 men's teams and 21 women's pairs gathered for the four-day competition starting on December 23.

Teams from 15 countries and regions were bracketed into eight pools apiece for both men and women for the round-robin format, with the top two teams of each pool advancing into the elimination round of 16.Pool winners will be ranked top eight later in the elimination round, with the eight runners-up being drawn into respective groups.

"The Chinese women teams are hot favorites for the title, while Iran, Kazakhstan and Japan are likely to become dark horses during the competitions," said Anthony Liao, the technical official from the Asian Volleyball Confederation. This is the first time for China to host the Asian beach volleyball championship after AVC empowered the annual event to Haikou for the following five years.

The 2009 championship running till December 26, is composed of a preliminary round and a single elimination phase.Eight seeded teams for both men and women are based on the calculation of their results both within the FIVB World Tour, Asian Tour and regional events, while two teams from the same AVC member will not participate in the same pool.Following are the drawing of lots for the 2009 Asian beach volleyball championship:

MenPool A: Xu Linyin/Wu Penggen, China, Ekanayaka Pubudu/Silva Dhammika, Sri Lanka, Wong Pui Lam/Kwok Wing Ho, Hong Kong, China Pool B: Kentaro Asahi/Katsuhiro Shiratori, Japan, Kittipat Yungtin/Sataporn Sawangrueng, Thailand Pool C: Gao Peng/Li Jian, China, Kasi Viswanatha Raju/Kiran Kumar Reddy, IndiaPool D: Peiris Sampath/Rathnapala Wasantha, Sri Lanka, Jang Jae-Pil/Baek Min-Hyeop, South Korea, Alexandr Dyachenko/Alexey Sidorenko, KazakhstanPool E: Liu Yong/Chen Cheng, China, Gabriel Ingkagan Usman/Angelo Confesor Espiritu, Philippines, Al-Sheriqi Haitham/Al-Hosni Ahmed, OmanPool F: Alexey Kulinich/Dmitriy Yakovlev, Kazakhstan, Wong Kwun Pong/Wong Chun Wai, Hong Kong, China, Mohamad Fitri bin Salim/Mohd Faiz Putra bin Abd Razak, MalaysiaPool G: Jazideh Azim/Sansabali Ebrahim, Iran, Al-Jabri Khalifa/Al-Subahi Bader, Oman, Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro/Suratna, IndonesiaPool H: Raoufi Rahman/Assari Naeini Reza, Iran, Shinpei Aoki/Yujiro Hidaka, Japan, Prathip Sukto/Sittichai Sangkachot, Thailand

WomenPool A: Xue Chen/Zhang Xi, China, Do Thi Hau/Ngo Vo Thanh Loan, Vietnam, Tse Wing Hung/Kong Cheuk Yee, Hong Kong, ChinaPool B: Shinako Tanaka/Sayaka Mizoe, Japan, Sewwandi Tharanga/Gunawardana Geethika, Sri LankaPool C: Jin Jieqiong/Yue Yuan, China, Luk Teck Eng/Teoh Kwan Kee, Malaysia, Truong Thi Yen/Nguyen Thi Mai, VietnamPool D: Zhang Changning/Ji Linjun, China, Wong Yuen Mei/Wong Wai Fong, Hong Kong, China, Gunasinghe Thakshila/Sujeewa W.W., Sri LankaPool E: Mutsumi Ozaki/Ayumi Kusano, Japan, Kou Nai Han/Chang Hui Min, Chinese Taipei, Yokbeth Manisala Kapasiang/Efa Sri Susilowati, IndonesiaPool F: Yupa Phokongploy/Kamoltip Kulna, Thailand, Jusabelle Berame Brillo/Nerissa Desaporado Bautista, PhilippinesPool G: Mashkova Tatyana/Tsimbalova Irina, Kazakhstan, Usa Tenpaksee/Jjarunee Sannok, ThailandPool H: Samalikova Bakhtygul/Pilipenko Marina, Kazakhstan, Jung Ji-Yong/Shin Mi-Hwa, South Korea, Beh Shun Thing/Luk Teck Hua, Malaysia.