Volleyball players able to wear bikinis in Qatar
There will be “no restrictions” against female beach volleyball players wearing bikinis during a tournament in Qatar, the sport’s governing body said Tuesday after players threatened to boycott, The Associated Press reported.
German players Karla Borger (right) and Julia Sude (left) had told radio station Deutschlandfunk that they would boycott the Doha event after being advised they can’t wear bikinis.
The Middle Eastern country is hosting the Beach Volleyball World Tour from March 8-12.
The FIVB said Tuesday it has consulted with the Qatar Volleyball Association.
“Following further discussions, the QVA has confirmed that there are no restrictions on female players wearing standard uniforms during the event in Doha, should they so wish,” it said in a statement.
Other players had also raised concerns about restrictions. The German players noted that bikinis were necessary because of the heat in Doha.
The FIVB, which governs all forms of volleyball, said it had consulted with players in January before the decision was made to stage the women’s tournament.
“The FIVB believes strongly that women’s beach volleyball, as all sport, should be judged on performance and effort, and not on uniform,“it said. “Therefore, during the competition in Doha, should players request to wear the standard uniform, they will be free to do so. The FIVB and QVA are united in their commitment to host a welcoming, safe and inclusive event that allows athletes to compete at their very best.”
Earlier, the Qatar Volleyball Association said “we are not making any demand on what athletes should wear at the event.”
Trivia question
Happy birthday to Hall of Fame first baseman Eddie Murray, who turns 65 today. Murray was never a league MVP, but he received a few votes over the years. How many times did Murray finish in the top six in MVP voting?
Seen on Twitter
Someone asked a question about the biggest dump where you ever attended a sporting event.
Yes, our Sports Arena and San Diego/Jack Murphy/Qualcomm/SDCCU Stadium received votes.
Mind you, these were not San Diego people voting, but people who have visited here.
In this start-and-stop, COVID-plagued season for USD’s men’s basketball team, the Toreros achieved a rarity Tuesday afternoon, albeit not one they’ll ever want to repeat.
USD blitzed Pacific with a 20-0 first-half run only to fall apart in the second half, watching the Tigers leave Jenny Craig Pavilion with a 7767 win.
More than an hour after the loss, after meeting individually with his assistant coaches because of COVID space restrictions, head coach Sam Scholl was asked if he’d ever lost a game after going on a 20-0 blitz.
“I don’t know,” said Scholl, who has coached in the West Coast Conference more than two decades. “Probably not.”
In a rare noon start, USD started sluggishly, missing its first six shots, falling behind 6-0. Then came the 20-0 run, ignited by the Toreros’ defense. The Tigers went 12 straight possessions without scoring, going 0 for 12 from the field, missing two free throws and turning the ball over twice.
By halftime, Pacific pared the deficit to nine, 36-27.
Four minutes, 55 seconds into the second half, the Tigers led 41-40 and would never trail again. USD’s second-half collapse was ignited by poor shooting (USD missed its first seven shots) leading to fastbreak opportunities for Pacific’s three-guard lineup.
The ugly second-half numbers: a Pacific team that came in barely averaging 68 points outscored USD 50-31; a Tigers
squad that ranked 225th in shooting (41.2 percent), attacked the basket, hitting 16 of 29 shots (55.2 percent); and USD hit just 11 of 33 attempts.
“I thought we came in with a tremendous amount of energy. We were focused and disciplined,” said Scholl. “We just weren’t able to sustain it. Once they started punching back at us, we couldn’t figure out how to punch back.”
Pacific improved to 8-7 and 5-6. USD fell to 3-9 and 2-6.
Four Tigers scored in double figures, led by Pierre Cockrell II with 21 points on 9of-12 shooting.
Joey Calcaterra led USD with 12 points but was just 4 of 11 from the field. Yauhen Massalski came off the bench to post a doubledouble with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
A crucial part of Pacific’s second-half run came with Calcaterra on the bench. He left with 15:55 to play and USD leading 39-37. By the time he returned with 10:54 to play, Pacific led 53-44.
“It was probably a little bit too long,” said Scholl. “That’s something I’ll do better at.”
Another factor that didn’t help: Pacific got to the line 25 times, making 17. USD got to the line just 11 times, making nine.