The Road to Rio starts in Portobello. The sands of Portobello could lead to the beach volleyball arena of Copacabana.

This weekend (September 20 and 21) the East Lothian beach plays host to the Continental Cup, the second in a series of eight qualifying contests for European places in the 2016 Olympic Games. Two mens and two womens Scottish pairs will face opposition from England, Slovakia, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

High hopes will be pinned on Edinburghs Shauna Mullin, whose experience at the 2012 London Olym-pic Games should prove invaluable. The 29-year old is paired with Anneka Hastings (28), also from Edinburgh, who has played professional indoor volleyball and semi-professional beach volleyball in Europe for several years.

Former Great Britain indoor volleyball captain Lynne Beattie (28) from Glasgow and Kilmarnock PE teacher Gillian Lyall (43) will complete the other womens pairing.

The mens team will be spearheaded by Edinburghs Robin Miedzybrodski and Seain Cook from Perth. Seain (22) and Robin (29) recently returned from France where they finished second in a national tournament, winning 750 Euros in prize money.

Robin said: Its amazing to be playing an international beach volleyball event at Portobello. Edinburgh is my home town and it was on the sand here that I first started playing beach volleyball. Its going to be great to showcase the sport in front of a home crowd.

Also hoping for success will be second seeds Graeme Riddle (35) and Jamie McHardy (22) from Edin-burgh.

The free event has grandstand seating, music and a commentator to keep spectators abreast of the action.

Matches run from 9am-7pm on Saturday and 9am-6pm on Sunday.

Tournament director Martyn Johnstone, competitions and performances officer at the Scottish Volley-ball Association, said: Everyone is extremely excited because were getting to showcase our sport in our own country. Were very confident our players will qualify from this round, after which they will take on the big guns of Europe.

Mens CompetitionTEAM NAME PLAYERS COUNTRYChurch-Brennan Tim Church & Robert Booh Brennan IRELAND (IRE)Whitty-Goti Jonathan Whitty & Andrew Goti IRELAND (IRE)McKnight-Workman Alan McKnight & Jonathan Workman N.IRELAND (NIR)Stewart-Scott Peter Stewart & Jeff Scott N.IRELAND (NIR)Cook-Miedzybrodzki Seain Cook & Robin Miedzybrodzki SCOTLAND (SCO)Riddle-McHardy Graham Riddle & Jamie McHardy SCOTLAND (SCO)Cizmazia-Kollar Oliver Cizmazia & Michal Kollar SLOVAKIA (SVK)Spacek R.-Kocinak Roman Maca Spacek & Viktor Kocinak SLOVAKIA (SVK)

Womens CompetitionTEAM NAME PLAYERS COUNTRYGrimson-Palmer Jessica Grimson & Victoria Palmer ENGLAND (ENG)Kaashoek-Lazard Yasmin Kaashoek & Grace Lazard ENGLAND (ENG)Allen-Roantree Roisin Allen & Roisin Taieb Roantree IRELAND (IRL)Gormally-Counihan Miriam Gormally & Doireann Counihan IRELAND (IRL)McCarroll-Donnelly Rhian McCarroll & Cait Donnelly N.IRELAND (NIR)Toye-Traynor Catherine Toye & Melissa Traynor N.IRELAND (NIR)Beattie-Lyall Lynne Beattie & Gillian Lyall SCOTLAND (SCO)Mullin-Hastings Shauna Mullin & Anneka Hastings SCOTLAND (SCO)

Matches run from 9am-7pm on Saturday and 9am-6pm on Sunday.Unreserved grandstand seating available. Refreshements and snacks on sale.

Matches run from 9am-7pm on Saturday and 9am-6pm on Sunday.Unreserved grandstand seating available. Refreshements and snacks on sale.