10/09/2014 15:18
Stuttgart Satellite to be added to Beach Volleyball global map
2014 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellites - Stuttgart
Stuttgart, Germany, September 10, 2014. Stuttgart is just about to be added to the global map of Beach Volleyball with the inaugural CEV Satellite tournament set to take place from Thursday through Sunday this week in the capital city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. An Olympic training centre with first-class Beach Volleyball facilities open all year round is located right next to the stadium where the soccer team of VfB Stuttgart play their home matches. A centre court with a capacity of 1,500 seats and a Beach Volleyball village with promotional stands and other attractions are being set up only a few hours before the actions get started on Thursday.
The Stuttgart Satellite will feature 16 teams per gender in the qualification round coming up tomorrow and another 16 per gender also in the main draw. The eventual winners of the tournament will be crowned on Sunday, with FIVB/CEV ranking points at stake as well as € 10,000 prize money per gender.
The entry lists for the international premiere in Stuttgart are topped by home heroines, 2013 world vice-champions and 2014 German champions Karla Borger and Britta Büthe. “We are so happy with the first international tournament taking place here in Stuttgart which is our home base when we are not travelling or competing,” Karla Borger says. “Usually we have to fly to participate in a tournament, somewhere around the world, but for this event I can come to the stadium by bike whereas Karla just walks down some stairs since she is living here at the Olympic Training Centre,” Büthe adds.
The other teams to headline the tournament are the silver medallists from this year’s CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship in Cagliari, Switzerland’s Tanja Goricanec and Tanja Hüberli and their compatriots Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré, runners-up at the CEV Biel/Bienne Masters held in early August.
The entries for the men’s tournament underwent some changes after a few teams opted to participate in the CEV Baku Masters which is taking place this week in the capital city of Azerbaijan. The top seed feature the brother-duo of Sebastian and Armin Dollinger who are going to play together in Stuttgart. Armin Dollinger was initially due to team up with 2012 Olympic champion Julius Brink earlier this year but Brink – plagued by injuries since his glory days at London 2012 – has since retired from competitive sport. Armin was supposed to compete in Stuttgart alongside rising star Clemens Wickler who last Sunday won gold at the CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship in Cesenatico, Italy, together with Niklas Rudolf. “After finishing fourth at the nationals in Timmendorfer Strand we had planned to play together also here in Stuttgart but unfortunately Clemens has been having problems with his thighs,” Armin says. “Since he is not available for this tournament, I decided to ask my brother Sebastian if he wanted to play with me and he accepted immediately.”
Other teams to watch out for are U23 world champions Maciej Kosiak/Maciej Rudol of Poland and Austria’s rising stars Tobias Winter/Lorenz Petutschnig, the 2012 U20 European champions.
The Organising Committee – which is a joint venture between the Olympic Training Centre Stuttgart Service GmbH and SchwabenSport Marketing GbR in cooperation with the Volleyball Association of Württemberg VLW and the support of the City of Stuttgart – has already drafted plans for a CEV Satellite to take place annually in Stuttgart.
All matches played on the centre court as well as on court 2 will be streamed live and for free at LAOLA1.tv
Click here for more information or visit the official website www.stuttgart-beach-open.de
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