TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: The 3rd Lusofonia Games beach volleyball championship to be held in Goa in coming November could showcase Goa’s potential to promote the event hereafter from the sports as well tourism angle with international ramifications, remarked A J Martin Sudhakar, member, Beach Council, Asian Volleyball Confederation and chairman of Beach Council, Volleyball Federation of India.
Martin Sudhakar, who is the competition manager for the event recalled that it was the then FIVB (Federation of International Volleyball) president Reuben Acosta who had suggested that Goa, being blessed with some of the best beaches in the world, should be a perfect destination for promoting international beach volleyball in India. “What he disclosed in 1997 during his visit in Chennai, still holds true today,” stated the official who arrived here today to direct the preparations for hosting the event either at Mira Mar or Colva beaches.
Preferring Colva to Mira Mar due to the quality of sand, Martin Sudhakar pointed out that his visit was purely a technical one connected with the venue set up and the technical requirements for organizing the event, which he said had also other entertainment and recreational values like hosting events, fashion parade with even crowing of Lusofonia Games Queen, live music, brand promotion like it is done worldwide and is a big hit attracting huge crowds.
“We will need three courts for the championship proper with floodlights, if possible, two warm-up courts, tents as changing rooms for players, media facilities with Wi-Fi connection and centralized dope control facilities, all of which could be accommodated in 12 tents. I did conduct two National championships in Goa (Mira Mar in 2003 and Colva in 2007) and the blue print is ready. I will also need trained manpower, in all 50,” explained Martin Sudhakar.
“We are running against time. The venue has to be finalized immediately and I need to know if people with the necessary expertise and experience will be available in the State for the smooth conduct of the event. It’s high time we work on the logistics as we also need to have a test run somewhere in mid-October. My domain is solely the technical aspect, for which I also need to know the exact number of entries since every nation is entitled to send two teams each in both men and women’s categories. We have the necessary expertise since we have already conducted FIBV recognized events in 2008, 2010 and the Asian junior championship recently in Chennai,” stated the Chennai-based expert who has been the tournament director right from 1993.
“Beach volleyball is gaining in popularity all over the world, there being no restrictions on the dress code for women now. Goa is an ideal place for the sport and we need to introduce it at the school level so that we have a sound grassroots programme. We have already introduced it in Tamil Nadu and Goa can do the same,” added Martin Sudhakar.
