11/08/2014 09:50
Biel/Bienne Masters attracts 50,000 fans, lays foundations for great Final
2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship – Biel/Bienne Masters
Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, August 11, 2014. The Biel/Bienne Masters that came to a close on Sunday on the shores of Lake Biel was not only the fourth stop of this year’s CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship, but also the first of three major events that the city is set to host up to 2016. The second edition of the Biel/Bienne Masters will be held in 2015 before one year later the same city plays host to the 2016 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final only a few weeks away from the Rio Olympics. The 2014 Biel/Bienne Masters was already a major success and Tournament Director Sascha Heyer can look forward to what is next on his busy agenda.
A former European champion, Heyer retired from competitive sport at the end of the 2012 season and after making it to the London Olympics at the age of 40 together with partner Sébastien Chevallier. He has a terrific knowledge of the sport as well as a lot of experience having travelled the world to represent Switzerland on the international stage. This time around, however, he was not delighting the Swiss crowd with his outstanding physical and technical skills, but was the man steering the tournament from the backstage.
Heyer draws the line at the end of this experience by taking a lot of positives: “We can look back at this premiere knowing that we have done a good job. The tournament was well received by the local people here in Biel/Bienne and the weather did also help us, with the only exception being a couple of showers throughout the week. On top of this, we have watched some world-class games and this is the best we could offer to our fans,” he says.
The centre court and the Beach Volleyball village that were set up right on the shores of Lake Biel have received positive reviews from players, fans and media alike. “The location right by the shore of the lake is simply wonderful,” Heyer reckons, “and it does stand the competition brought by all of the most traditional Beach Volleyball destinations worldwide.”
Though he sounds very happy and enthusiastic, the gentle giant – Heyer was well-known for his fair play and always exemplary behaviour – knows there is still room for improvement: “If we as organiser had joined the competition, I think we would certainly have made the quarterfinals,” he jokes. “Still if we want to make it to the top, we still have to fine tune some details and bring more consistency to our overall performance. However, I am convinced that we are already on the right track with the help of this crew and especially with the many volunteers that were ready to lend a helping hand throughout this week.”
Heyer is particularly happy with the exposure of the tournament among the local fans as well as across the international Beach Volleyball community. Starting with a firework show that preceded the beginning of the tournament and then all the way through to the final day, the venue was visited by more than 50,000 people. About 10,000 spectators followed the matches on the centre court and the side courts, with the last competition day attracting a full house of 2,500. Still there is much work to be done to make sure that the tournament can count on full stands from the first up to the final day. “We will certainly try to figure out how we can attract more spectators for next year’s edition of the Masters, bearing in mind that in 2016 we will be hosting the major highlight of the Beach Volleyball season.” Heyer has embarked on a mission and he is ready to work hard to make sure it will be accomplished.
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