ANOC secretary general Gunilla Lindberg made the assertion when providing an update on the Games here today.

Lindberg was speaking on the opening day of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) seminar.

In an update Europe’s 50 National Olympic Committees, Lindberg stated that International Federations (IF) are set to hold a two day visit to San Diego later this month.

Following the visit, which is due to take place on May 25 and 26, qualification criteria for the Games will be determined.

It is expected that the full qualification process will be unveiled in June, along with technical guidelines for the Games.

The development would be the latest milestone towards the inaugural Games, which are scheduled to take place from October 10 to 15 next year.

Two sports, beach handball and beach soccer, are set to begin on October 9 with the Opening Ceremony taking place the following day.

Sports due to appear in San Diego include 3x3 basketball, BMX freestyle, and a karate beach kata event, along with the surfing disciplines stand-up paddle and shortboard.

A park terrain skateboarding event is also set to feature, along with open water swimming, aquathlon, beach tennis and a 4x4 beach volleyball competition.

The programme will be completed by bouldering, wakeboarding, a waterski jump event, kiteboarding and beach wrestling.

The event was initially due to take place in 2017 but was pushed back to October 2019 last year to allow more time for preparations.

Lindberg also informed NOCs that host city and IF contracts had been signed for the event in the American city.

She stated that it had taken time for organisers to secure a permit to use Mission Beach, which will be the site for competitions.

A licence has now been secured to use the beach for the duration of the Games.

Last month an agreement was signed between ANOC and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) to partner on future editions of the World Beach Games after 2019.

The deal is said to recognise ANOC’s important efforts in launching the World Beach Games and GAISF’s critical role in multi-sport Games.

Under its terms, ANOC and GAISF will form a 50-50 partnership to run the World Beach Games through a jointly-held event company registered in Switzerland.

Respecting each other’s roles and responsibilities within the Olympic Movement, a Board consisting of equal numbers of GAISF and ANOC representatives will run the company with a Presidency which will rotate between the two stakeholders.

ANOC will lead the company during the first four-year term and GAISF will propose the company’s managing director.

The World Beach Games is scheduled to be held every two years following the inaugural edition

The company is set to be established in 2020.