26/05/2015 09:59
Jurmala Masters a huge success, says CEV President
News from the CEV
Luxembourg/Jurmala, Latvia, May 26, 2015. The Jurmala Masters – first stop of this year’s CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship – that came to a close on Sunday with Italy’s twins Matteo and Paolo Ingrosso claiming their first gold medal in an international tournament was a major success. CEV President André Meyer was also in attendance for the final days of competition and was pleased with the show delivered by the organisers of the huge ‘Beach Volleyball party’ held right by the Baltic Sea.
To review some of the greatest moments of the Jurmala Masters, check out our highlight clip ‘Postcard from Jurmala’ which is available right here on the CEV’s YouTube channel
“Latvia has slowly but surely turned into one of Europe’s Beach Volleyball Meccas,” Mr Meyer says. “As you know, Beach Volleyball contributed to one of two medals won by Latvia at the 2012 Olympics in London and following the historic result he achieved in tandem with Martins Plavins, Janis Smedins joined forces with Aleksandrs Samoilovs to top the final standing of the FIVB World Tour for the last couple of years. These players are real national icons in Latvia and they have also taken two consecutive silver medals at the CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final. However, during my short stay in Jurmala I was pleased to realise that beside these world-class athletes, a number of young players keep on developing and improving, this way guaranteeing that Beach Volleyball will continue to grow in Latvia also for the years to come,” Mr Meyer continues.
Last year Latvia had played host to its first major international event with the highly successful Satellite tournament held on the white sand of Jurmala drawing a large and enthusiastic audience. This time around the outcome wasn’t any different. “I was able to join the local Beach Volleyball family for the first edition of the Jurmala Masters and during my stay I could easily sense the passion and interest that surrounds our sport in this country. Therefore it does not come as a surprise that the organisers have decided to step up their efforts and after hosting a Satellite event in 2014, this time they made it to the next level by delivering our first Masters event of the 2015 season. The Jurmala Masters was a perfect prelude to a busy season that is set to reach its climax with the inaugural European Games in Baku and the European Championship Final in Klagenfurt,” Mr Meyer says.
This is going to be a special year for Latvia’s Beach Volleyball family as later this summer the country’s capital Riga will be playing host to the U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships. “Before our young stars in the making travel to Latvia in August, the continental elite delivered classy actions for a real Beach Volleyball party in the country’s most popular seaside resort. Jurmala is a perfect place where to host a Beach Volleyball competition of the highest calibre,” Mr Meyer concludes.
Click here for further information on the Jurmala Masters or visit the official website http://jurmala.beachvolley.lv
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