27/05/2020 14:00
Trio of Beach Volleyball friends launch revolutionary Beach-Liga in Germany
News from the National Federations
Düsseldorf, Germany, May 27, 2020. Most competitive sports are currently stuck because of the pandemic and they are still discussing the resumption of the cancelled season or a new, fresh start this coming autumn. After the cancellation of the German national tour and of many stops of the FIVB World Tour, a trio of Beach Volleyball companions (Alexander Walkenhorst, Daniel Wernitz and Constantin Adam) have made it possible for this attractive summer sport not to completely disappear from the sports calendar. They are breaking new ground with the launch of the so-called Beach-Liga.
The competition will feature Germany’s top duos in gripping duels at one location!
It will start on June 13, 2020 and last for 30 days, with an already established field of 16 teams, with eight games a day on one of two official competition courts on the grounds of the Merkur-Spiel-Arena in the sports city of Düsseldorf.
Each team plays four times against each other team over a period of four weeks and at the end, the Beach-Liga champions will emerge from the final weekend of competition.
The partnership with the streaming platform www.twitch.tv enables fans who cannot be on site due to the coronavirus pandemic to follow the matches live on the designated channel www.twitch.tv/diebeachliga. The streaming is available free of charge and on all devices - and above all with direct interaction options.
The transmission takes place in HD quality and with live commentary – for every single game. There are plans to use several cameras to show the game from different perspectives as well.
“Twitch is characterised by both the live aspect and the interaction with the community. This makes us the perfect partner for sports organisers who want to reach their existing and new fans in a completely different way,” said Farhan Ahmed, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Twitch. "The Beach-Liga is a unique and exciting opportunity for Beach Volleyball and we are very happy that the event will take place on Twitch for 30 days.”
The German Volleyball Association (DVV) has well received the concept as well. “We are happy that the summer season is picking up speed again and we support this initiative. In terms of media, we definitely see an opportunity to give Beach Volleyball a boost and to establish itself as one of the major sporting highlights in the summer of 2020,” says Niclas Hildebrand, sports director in charge of Beach Volleyball at DVV. "All the more we want to support with our expertise and we look forward to the next step to strengthen the cooperation.”
Of course, the Beach-Liga will be taking place in compliance with a detailed sport-specific hygiene concept, taking into account all official regulations to curb the spread of coronavirus. The safety and health of everyone involved is always top priority. Therefore, all matches will be taking place behind closed doors.
“The sports city of Düsseldorf has proven several times that it stands for a contemporary event portfolio. That is why the Beach-Liga fits us perfectly. The combination of a young sport like Beach Volleyball and a modern online medium as a multiplier is a recipe for success that will inspire many people and which I am particularly looking forward to,” says Burkhard Hintzsche, City Director and Sports Director of the City of Düsseldorf.
Part of the hygiene concept is the hosting of the competition exclusively at the Düsseldorf location, as well as the use of the health partner Cerascreen, who, with its own laboratory capacity, will regularly test everyone involved on SARS-CoV-2. The organiser takes on the hotel accommodation and catering for the athletes as part of an all-round carefree package, which also includes the regular SARS-CoV-2 tests.
To this end, the organisers of the Beach-Liga have brought the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation on board, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. “The corona pandemic also poses major challenges for non-profit organisations like Laureus Sport for Good. Difficult situations like this also develop positive forces and pave the way for innovative solutions. The Beach-Liga is an exciting format that not only the players and fans can look forward to, but above all, the disadvantaged children, who are supported with the collected donations in the social sports projects funded by Laureus,” said Paul Schif, Managing Director of Laureus Sport for Good Germany and Austria.
The organisers and producers of the Beach-Liga are three pioneers who have been closely associated with the sport of Beach Volleyball in recent years and who saw the sudden stopping of all sporting activities as an opportunity for developing a completely new approach.
Alexander Walkenhorst is one of the masterminds of the Beach-Liga
Alexander Walkenhorst has been playing Beach Volleyball nationally and internationally since 2005 and has developed as a mature athlete and vlogger. “When I found out about the season’s cancellation, I did not want to waste a single second. While my colleagues were expressing sympathy on social channels, I was already thinking of a new format. After all, I do not want to train all winter to not play in summer.”
Daniel Wernitz has been a professional Beach Volleyball player for ten years, player representative for two years, with expertise in planning and executing TV sports productions and five years as a highlight editor at Pay TV broadcaster Sky. “The spot at the Merkur-Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf is perfect for us as the host. Short distances to the player hotel, good infrastructure on site and an easy-to-control area without insight for curious spectators.”
“This concept has great potential because it is structured like a puzzle and this puzzle can be expanded in many ways,” said Constantin Adam, Head of Sponsoring and Partnerships.
For further information, visit www.diebeachliga.de.
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