Beach volleyball boosts sports tourism
FOR THE second straight year, the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA) hosted the Women’s Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifying tournament at the Ocho Rios Bay Beach.
The event, held from January 29 to 31, brought 12 Caribbean teams together to play for the right to advance as one of eight teams to the third round of the tournament later this year in El Salvador.
Each team consisted of four players, along with officials.
Having won the first round, Jamaica, this time, finished third behind winners Trinidad and Tobago, who defeated Barbados in the finals but advanced to the next round.
Getting closer to the Rio Olympics is good news for Jamaica, but even better is the fact that the tournament represents a shot in the arm for sports tourism in Jamaica.
Deputy Director of Tourism Jason Hall, who was on hand to witness play on the final day, told Hospitality Jamaica that as far as sports tourism was concerned, it was a good partnership between JAVA and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), one of the sponsors of the tournament.
“This is the second time we (JTB) are sponsoring this event. We have actually been involved with the indoor version of the game, but we recognise that JAVA has the capacity to coordinate and execute events of this nature, so as far as sports tourism is concerned, this is a very good partnership. We can depend on the organisers to deliver regional-class events and, indeed, world-class events,” Hall stated.
COORDINATION
Hall said that it was important to note that sports tourism was not about any single entity taking the lead, but a coordination of multiple agencies.
“For example, here we have the UDC, who have done an amazing job of preparing this ground to make it competition ready; the hoteliers for coming into the equation; corporate sponsors First Global being here on board as title sponsors, and that’s very important; and none of these events can be done in isolation. So as far as sports tourism is concerned, this is a tremendous start, a great success.”
Sponsors of the event included First Global Bank, which sponsored both the tournament and the Jamaica team, Jamaica Sport, the Sport Development Foundation, Irie FM, the St Ann Development Company, Hi-Lyte, Lifespan, St John Ambulance, the St Ann Parish Council, Pure Nation Ice, and EMKAY Sports and Trophies.
Hall said that what Jamaica Sport is now focusing on is having beach competition sports as an actual strategic objective, pointing out that a beach rugby tournament would be staged in Ocho Rios later this year, while other sports such as beach tennis and beach football were also being explored.
“Our objective in the end is to really position Jamaica as the leading sports tourism destination,” Hall said.
President of JAVA Rudolph Speid and his team were praised by Mushtaque Mohammed, vicepresident of the International Volleyball Federation for presenting a top-class tournament.
Said Mohammed: “It was exciting! The level of the tournament here was really of a high standard. It was awesome. Ocho Rios, the people, the environment – it was electrifying! We had a really good tournament.”