16/08/2013 22:00
Eko Park nearby Zagreb to host fifth Zonal Phase tournament on Saturday
CEV Youth Beach Volleyball Continental Cup - Zonal Phase
Zagreb, Croatia, August 16, 2013. Zagreb and namely the local Eko Park Krašograd will host on Saturday the fifth tournament scheduled for the Zonal Phase of the inaugural CEV Youth Beach Volleyball Continental Cup whereby teams can qualify – via the finals coming up in 2014 – for the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. Eko Park Krašograd is a complex comprising wooden cottages as well as leisure and sports facilities created by Croatia’s largest chocolate producer, Kraš, in order to spread the idea of sustainable development and ecology.
On Friday, the day before the start of the competition starring teams from Belarus, Croatia, Finland and Latvia a press conference was held at Eko Park to share some information about the Youth Continental Cup and the Youth Olympics. “This competition is extremely important for us as well as for our athletes for they get the chance to qualify for the Youth Olympics coming up next year in China” said the President of the Croatian Beach Volleyball Association, Damir Radeljic. “Eko Park is certainly the right place to be as it really provides our young Beach Volleyball players and all participants with the infrastructure they need as they embark on this adventure” he continued.
“I am really impressed by the fact that just nearby Zagreb we have a fantastic place like Eko Park Krašograd” added the President of the Croatian Volleyball Organization, Zdeslav Barac. “I am convinced that any international competition is always welcome to Croatia as Volleyball and Beach Volleyball need to be in the spotlight in our country. This tournament is combined with a unique and very attractive location, something very unique I believe” he said.
“I am very glad to be among my Croatian friends after eight years” said CEV Technical Supervisor Nikos Sofianos of Greece. “This tournament and more generally the CEV Youth Continental Cup are extremely important to promote Beach Volleyball across the youth” he added.
“Eko Park is about to expand its activities and we have developed plans to add some more sports facilities, including a golf course and a water amusement park” said the General Director of the Kraš company Mrs. Marica Vidakovic.
On Saturday the young players from Croatia, Belarus, Finland and Latvia will be vying for only two spots available to make the final stage of the competition. “Everything is really nice here and with the arrival of the teams the venue has become noisy and lively; the volunteers have been working hard and the venue is just fine” said Croatian coaches Tomislav Karaula and Grga Trimčevski.
At the Technical Meeting held on Friday evening, Mr. Sofianos informed all participants about the schedule for Saturday and also about the possibility to get assistance from their coaches during the time-outs in what is an innovative approach being tested by CEV specifically for age group competitions.
“Eko Park Village is a very nice where everything is well organized” said Croatian home hero Krešimir Karaula who will carry the hopes of the host country in the boys’ competition alongside Marko Sedlaček (see picture). “We have been watching our opponents as they started training here and they all look well prepared. You can get to feel that they have been together for quite some time and so I do expect some close matches on Saturday. On the other hand, like any other athlete, I want to make it through the Zonal Phase and play the finals to advance to the Youth Olympics next year” he said. “This would be a great success for us”.
Croatia’s girls will also play teams from Latvia, Finland and Belarus on their way to the final stage of the Continental Cup: “Our opponents look very competitive so we will have to show our best to win the upcoming matches” commented Božena Čulo who will be playing in Zagreb with partner Sara Radanovič.
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