WITH?MORE?prize money at stake, a new sponsor in Nissan on board and a larger number of teams registering, the second annual Warrens Sports Club Beach Volleyball Classic promises to be even bigger and better than the first held last year at Brandons Beach.
The 2013 edition was launched yesterday at the Barbados Olympic Association’s headquarters with coordinator Talya Layne disclosing that with 35 teams had already registered in the Junior/Novice, Intermediate and Open categories.
The beach volleyball action serves off on Sunday, May 5, from 9 a.m. and will continue on May 12 before climaxing with the various finals on May 19.
Layne also indicated that following the prize-giving ceremony a big celebration will be held for all of the players, sponsors and spectators at Brandons.
Contestants in the Junior/Novice and Intermediate categories will be competing for non-cash prizes while the top prize in the challenging Open Category will be $1 000, with $750 going to second and $500 to the third-placed teams in both the men’s and women’s division.
The reigning men’s champions, Mark Lewis and Daran Gill, will be defending their title. While Shari Matthews is out of the island, Anthazia Mason will be looking to new partner Julia Lewis to help her to retain the crown which she had earned last year with Matthews.
Nissan’s regional product manager Sam Gaston said that while a lot of support had been given to cricket, football and many of the mainstream sports, his company recognized that volleyball and beach volleyball were growing sports which needed assistance.
“We believe that Barbados’ beach volleyball needs the exposure and it should be given the opportunity to grow on the world stage,” said Gaston.
Such sentiments were echoed by one of the Warrens coordinators, Adrian Harewood, who said the object was to develop a beach league in Barbados.
“This drive was spurred by the amount of young talent which we saw in beach and indoor volleyball,” he said. (KB)
