09/07/2013 08:00
Fair play is the beach volleyball way for Bulgaria’s new generation
2013 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship
Sofia, Bulgaria, July 9, 2013. The new generation of beach volleyball players in Bulgaria seems ready to host the upcoming 2013 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship presented by Mtel in more than one way. Players that have been selected to represent the country in Varna have shown their talent for the sport, but not only. In line with CEV’s new campaign Fair Play. Volleyball Way they have set an example of how fair play on the sand court may sometimes cost you a set, but wins you respect.
The score is 21-22. Set point for last year’s runners-up. Facing them from the other side of the net, however, is 19-year-old Branko. He makes a powerful spike and puts the ball on the sand in his opponents’ half. The crowd cheers him on for this performance. The refs are firm on their decision and the scoreboard already displays a 22-22 tie when Branko raises his hand and admits: ”I touched the net!” Because of this, his team loses the set, but wins the hearts of the fans.
This happened during the main draw competition at the Mtel Beach Masters National Senior Beach Volleyball Championship for men in downtown Sofia. Branko is in fact Branimir Grozdanov. He and his teammate Martin Ivanov will represent Bulgaria at the U22 European Championship in Varna and now they seem to have deserved this honor due to both their beach volleyball technical qualities and their stand on fair play. Martin and Branko eventually took a sensational third place at this top-level senior men’s competition and won a special prize for Fair Play from the organizers. One of the tournament’s referees, Ognyan Andonov, awarded them with a ball specially autographed by several Bulgarian volleyball and beach volleyball stars, but their biggest reward is that now they are the new favorites of the fans.
”Branko’s act is entirely in the spirit of fair play”, Vladimir Kotev, national team coach, stated. ”It is a great manly act from a 19-year-old teenager. After the match he simply told me that some things are more important than winning one set.”
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