Beach volleyball bounces back to Phuket

PHUKET: The fourth Beach Volleyball Phuket Thailand Open, powered by PTT, is scheduled to take place at Karon Beach from November 3 through 8.

Some of the best players from around the globe will be here for the tournament, including the world ranked Number One team of Larissa Franka and Juliana Silva from Brazil.

The pair have amassed an impressive eight wins on the 2009 Swatch FIVB World Tour.

The Thailand open is the final leg of the Swatch-FIVB Women’s Beach Volleyball World Tour, with purse of US$190,000.

Over 70 of the world’s leading beach volleyball teams from 30 countries have entered the five day tournament, including 15 of the world’s top 20 teams

Thailand as the host country is allocated two teams in the 32-strong main draw.

A third team has been given a wild card into the tournament, after winning the pre-qualifying tournament held last month at the Sports Authority of Thailand’s beach court at Huamark.

Another three Thai teams will compete in the qualifying rounds.

The Phuket Thailand Open is sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and the Thailand Volleyball Association (TVA), and played over five days.

Qualification rounds will be held on November 4, with the main draw taking place from November 5 to 8.

Matches will start from 9am daily, except on finals day when matches start at 3pm.

Both semi-finals will be played on Saturday November 7. The final and 3rd/4th place play-off will be held the next day.

The event will be televised live in Thailand and across Asia, Europe and the USA.

Admission to the tournament is free. The program on-site includes beach volleyball camps, an inter-hotel tournament, a beer garden and many other activities and games in the expanded sponsor zone, adjacent to center court.

The tournament, sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, is organized by Pentangle Promotions and supported by the Tourism Authority and the Sports Authority of Thailand. The Gazette and its television arm, PGTV, will be providing regular coverage of the event.

International sponsors of the event are the Swatch Group, Mikasa Sports and Descente Ski Apparel.

— Gazette Events