HEALTH & FITNESS IN FOCUS AS BACK-TO-BACK EVENTS BEGIN IN DUBAI

Beach Pro Tour makes its first stop in Dubai with the first of two Challenge events taking place in the United Arab Emirates

The most active two events on the Beach Pro Tour kicked off in Dubai on Saturday with the first of the back-to-back Challenge events on Kite Beach.

It is the first time on the Beach Pro Tour calendar that there have been successive tournaments in the same location, with athletes gracing the golden sands of Kite Beach between 22-25 and 27-30 October.

Run by Volleyball World in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council, and in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates Volleyball Federation, the two events will see athletes invited to give their professional advice on how the sport can foster an active and healthy lifestyle.

During the days of competition, fans and media will learn just how beneficial participating in the sport can be for the body and mind. The first in a series of beach clinics was held on the centre court on Friday.

Organised by local beach volleyball club Esperia, 25 participants were treated to tutorials from two professional coaches, Ryan Hutchinson and Melissa Done, and Brazilian volleyball legend and FIVB Ambassador Giba.

“It’s great to be able to get on the sand, help the coaches and be a part of this event on Kite Beach,” said the 2004 Olympic indoor champion. “There is a real passion for volleyball in Dubai and I am really looking forward to the events, as well as giving something back to the local players.”

Giba was also on hand to host a special media event where national and international journalists were given an insight into how to play beach volleyball by main draw teams Bara Hermannova and Marie-Sara Stochlova of the Czech Republic and Norway’s Emilie Olimstad and Sunniva Helland-Hansen as well as Ahmed Al Houli and Humaid Binsaud from two of teams representing the United Arab Emirates.

Entertaining first day of main draw complete

The home fans who came to Kite Beach hoping to see victories for the home team were unable to help their team to victory as Al Houli and teammate Salem Mohammed lost both of their matches on the centre court as the main draw begun on Sunday.

Helland-Hansen and Olimstad and Hermannova and Stochlova were among the women’s teams who won both matches to book themselves a place in Last-16.

On the men’s side, among those duos who won twice to secure a spot in the Last-16 were top seeds from Italy, Adrian Carambula and Enrico Rossi, French brothers Quincy and Calvin Aye and Brazil’s Pedro Solberg and Arthur Mariano.

Monday will see the elimination phase get under way in the women’s and men’s competition with the day cumulating in the quarter-finals. Tuesday will then see the semi-finals and medal matches before the second event begins on Thursday with the qualification rounds.

Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation