The 42-year-old won Olympic indoor gold with his country at Athens 2004 and also boasts three world titles.

He has decided to return to action to play the snow variant of the sport after trying it out at 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where demonstration events were held. 

Giba, whose full name is Gilberto Amauri Godoy Filho, is teaming up in Wagrain-Kleinarl with 45-year-old compatriot Marcio Henrique Barroso Araujo.

His partner won Olympic beach volleyball silver medal at Beijing 2008 and won the world title in 2005.

"I played the exhibition match in Pyeongchang and there I saw how amazing snow volleyball is," Giba said.

"It was also good to see volleyball played alongside winter sports and how much the people attending the event liked it. 

"They were saying, 'Wow, playing volleyball on the snow - how is it possible? Are you feeling your hands?'"

Giba added: "It was a really incredible experience, similar in some ways to beach volleyball. 

"I played beach volleyball before playing volleyball - the opposite way round to a lot of other players. 

"To see snow volleyball grow more and more so quickly and at a good level is incredible and for me it is important to help this sport develop."

A total of 35 teams - 20 women's and 15 men's - have registered for Wagrain-Kleinarl in all with 18 countries represented from all five continents. 

The opening event in Austria is due to run until Sunday (March 31) and be followed by two more stops on the maiden World Tour.

Kronplatz in Italy is scheduled to play host between April 5 and 7 before Bariloche in Argentina rounds off the season from August 1 to 4.

The International Volleyball Federation are promoting the discipline in the hope it may one day be added to the Winter Olympic programme.