FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open starts
INTERNATIONAL beach volleyball action descends on the country starting today with the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open kicking off at The Sands SM By The Bay.
Sixty- plus teams from different parts of the world for the women’s and men’s categories are expected to take part in the competition that will last until May 6.
A cash prize of $ 10,000 and tournament points for qualification for other Fédération Internationale de Volleyball beach volleyball competitions are up for grabs in the event organized by Beach Volleyball Republic, Inc. (BVR).
Leading the competitors are that of Paraguayans Michelle Amarilla and Erika Bobadilla, which is the highest-rated among the teams seeing action in the women’s field. The Paraguay players hope to bounce back in Manila after they failed to make it to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Malaysia Open semifinals in Langkawi on April 29.
Ayumi Kusano, who played for Japan that won the Spike for Peace beach volleyball crown in 2015 at the PhilSports Arena with Akiko Hasegawa, will return for another run at glory, this time with her partner Takemi Nishibori.
Also competing is the young Netherlands pair of Katja Stam and Julia Wouters, who lost to Russia’s Ksenia Dabizha and Daria Mastikova in the women’s gold medal match of the Malaysia Open last Sunday.
Host Philippines has entered four women’s pairs in the main draw, with high- flying University of Santo Tomas standout Sisi Rondina and Dzi Gervacio leading the charge.
Ms. Rondina is a three- time UAAP beach volleyball champion, and together with Far Eastern University’s Bernadeth Pons represented the country in last year’s 29th Southeast Asian Beach Volleyball Championships in Singapore.
Other Filipinas competing are veterans and BVR founders Charo Soriano and Bea Tan, two-time BVR national champions Karen Quilario and Lot Catubag, and wildcard entries DM Demontaño and Jackie Estoquia.
In the men’s side, Austria’s Simon Fruhbauer and Jorg Wutzl look to continue to roll after the topping the recent Malaysia Open.
Russians Petr Bakhnar and Taras Myskiv will also be here in Manila along with Germany’s Paul Becker and Eric Stadie.
The highest- rated team in the men’s division is Sweden’s Martin Apprelgen and Simon Boman, who placed ninth in Langkawi.
BVR national champions Jade Becaldo and Calvin Sarte and Kevin Juban and Raphy Abanto will banner the Philippines’ push in the men’s side.
For BVR, hosting the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open is a great honor for the organization and something it hopes would help the country’s beach volleyball scene.
“It has been Beach Volleyball Republic’s dream to host the most prestigious tournament for beach volleyball. We have been organizing and perfecting our own local BVR on Tour and it’s about time that the Philippines gets to see a world- class beach volleyball tournament. It is within BVR’s effort to streamline consistently our program for beach volleyball in the country with the FIVB,” Ms. Tan said at the press conference for the event last week.
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open matches will be broadcast live over ABSCBN Sports YouTube channel. —