20/06/2014 09:00
Home heroes carry Bulgaria’s hopes in Kardzhali
2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup - Men & Women
Kardzhali, Bulgaria, June 20, 2014. As the 1st Round of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup is gaining momentum, the Bulgarian city of Kardzhali will be hosting one of four tournaments scheduled for the coming weekend. This is the very first step on the way that leads to the Beach Volleyball tournament of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Teams from Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, and Serbia will be in action on Saturday and Sunday; the countries claiming first and second place at the end of the tournament will progress straight to the 3rd Round scheduled for next year, whereas the third and fourth-placed will re-start their quest for a ticket to the Olympics with the 2nd Round coming up later this summer.
“We expect a weekend packed with emotions for everyone who is fond of this sport,” says Milko Bagdasarov, who has overseen the preparations of the home teams as head of beach volleyball in the national federation. “The city of Kardzhali will be the stage for some close battles and a series of exciting matches. We have set up a facility specifically conceived for Beach Volleyball which meets all standards set by CEV and has a capacity of 500 seats,” he adds.
In the men’s competition the hopes of the host country will be carried by four players who are all native of Kardzhali. Konstantin Mitev and Nikolay Kolev, winners of Bulgaria’s National Tour last year as well as of the first two stops already played this season, are expected to provide the local crowd with something to cheer about. “We will try to play our best in order to win this tournament, knowing that strong rivals will be standing on the other side of the net,” Nikolay Kolev says. “We hope that we will be able to exploit the home advantage. We also expect some loud support from our fans and friends throughout the weekend.”
Bulgaria’s second pair, Kiril Hadzhiev and Delcho Raev (pictured), also hails from the city of Kardzhali. “This is the first time that our home town is hosting a competition of this calibre. At the end of the weekend, we would like to celebrate our victory,” said the runner-ups of Bulgaria’s 2013 national circuit.
As home star Diana Malinova is out due to injury, in the women’s competition Bulgaria will rely on the likes of Svetla Angelova/Asya Dinova and Rusena Slancheva/Irena Mishonova. “We stand a fair chance in our matches with the teams from Serbia, whereas Finland will be a hard nut to crack,” Slancheva admits. “However, we will be fighting to the end to claim one of the top spots of the standings.”
The competition will officially kick-off on Friday night with the technical meeting taking place at the Arpezos sports centre in Kardzhali.
Click here for more info including detailed entry lists
|