25/08/2013 23:00
Russian boys and girls impose their rule in Moscow
CEV Youth Beach Volleyball Continental Cup - Zonal Phase
Moscow, Russia, August 25, 2013. Another Zonal Phase tournament for the inaugural CEV Youth Beach Volleyball Continental Cup was held on Sunday at Vodniy stadium in Moscow on the last day of the FIVB Grand Slam tournament. Young boys and girls from 5 countries played there for the two spots available to make it to the final stage coming up next year and where six berths will be at stake to compose the European contingent for the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. Russia qualified for the finals in both genders while Turkey’s girls and Bulgaria’s boys also claimed a ticket to the final stage.
After enjoying a bye in the first round, Russia’s Nadezhda Makroguzova and Daria Rudykh started their home campaign by beating Turkey’s Esra Betul Cetin and Selin Yurtsever 21-8, 21-11 in only 29 minutes. Cetin/Yurtsever eventually fought their way back through the losers’ bracket and got the right to challenge the home heroines in the final match. Cheered by their many fans, Rudykh and Makroguzova once more cruised past their opponents from Turkey in straight sets (21-13, 21-5) as both teams qualified for the final stage of the Continental Cup. “The weather was not that good today in Moscow but we managed to finish the tournament on top of the charts. It feels great to play for our country” Makroguzova said. “It’s great to play at home before your relatives and fans. Many thanks to CEV, FIVB and to the local organizers; we really had a good time here” added the winner of this year’s U18 EEVZA Championship.
Russia dominated the scene also in the boys’ competition, with Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Artem Yarzutkin finishing first after beating Bulgaria’s Stefan Ivanov and Dimitar Kalchev in a close final game (21-18, 16-21, and 15-8). They eventually – like their countrywomen – got the privilege to play the final on the centre court set up for the FIVB Grand Slam at Dinamo sports complex.
All players who had traveled to Moscow for this tournament were presented with special diplomas by Brazil’s superstar Emanuel Rego, a silver medalist from the 2012 Olympics in London and runner-up also at the Grand Slam held in Russia’s capital city.
“I think it was a great idea to combine this tournament with the last stage of the Grand Slam” CEV Technical Supervisor Anton Fichtinger said. “It’s very important for these young boys and girls to get to feel the atmosphere of elite Beach Volleyball, to play on centre court and be part of this great Beach Volleyball party”.
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