Visakhapatnam , , MAR 01,
There is drama, fun, excitement and action on the beach as the first-ever International Beach Volleyball Tournament held in India unfolds.
Ramakrishna Beach is now equipped with floodlights, white sand filling (on the court), a seating capacity of 5,000 , and shower facility for players besides other supporting infrastructure. The tournament is promoted by Leisure Sports Management in collaboration with International Volleyball Federation, Volleyball Federation of India and AP and Vizag Volleyball Association. Fifty-six teams from different countries are vying for the title as they will battle wind, sun, rain and each other.
The teams, many of which are visiting India for the first time, are excited about this new beach volleyball destination. “The venue is fantastic and we are looking forward to a great tournament,” says Martina Bonnerova from Czech Republic.
Martina who was eight years old when she started playing, says the popularity of the sport in her country is on a different level. “In Prague alone, there are more than 10 beach clubs. It is common to see people head to the beach to enjoy a game after work,” she says. How is the Indian venue different? “I came from a zero-degree Celsius climate to a 30-plus degree temperature.
That has been a bit of a challenge for us.” For Grant Goldsmith from South Africa, the winds will play a crucial role here. “Serving into the wind will be the key. It is quite windy here,” says the volleyball player.President of AP Volleyball Association PGVR Naidu (Ganababu) hopes the event will catapult Visakhapatnam into an international beach sports destination, and generate a buzz around the sport in India. “We have also proposed a beach sports complex under the Smart City Project.
The idea is to create an infrastructure to promote beach volleyball and yachting and attract international players to the region,” he says.
To make the sand on the court on par with the international standards, Naidu says white sand filling has been done. “The surface is composed of levelled sand, free of rocks, shells and anything else which can represent risks of cuts or injuries to the players,” he adds.
