Beach Volleyball
EuroBeachVolley fever begins to mount in Jurmala
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Article Fri, Aug 28 2020
Jurmala, Latvia, August 28, 2020. The 2020 edition of EuroBeachVolley will be taking place from September 15 to 20 on Majori Beach, Jurmala, thus gathering the very best Beach Volleyball teams in Europe for a highly anticipated continental showdown. The Drawing of Lots held at Lielupe tennis centre on Wednesday set the tone for the event – with the Latvian teams obviously looking forward to playing such an elite competition on home sand.
Reigning European champions Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka (pictured above) feature in women’s Pool E – along with Austria’s Katharina Schützenhöfer/Lena Plesiutschnig, Ksenia Dabizha/Daria Rudykh of Russia and Finland’s Riikka Lehtonen/Niina Ahtiainen.
“We train every day here in Jurmala and focus on every ball. We will try to enjoy this tournament and show our best performance,” said Kravcenoka. She and Graudina sensationally claimed gold last year in Moscow to emulate the historic feat achieved by their compatriots Inguna Minusa and Inese Jursone, who had won gold ten years earlier in Sochi.
The EuroBeachVolley trophy was on display on Wednesday in Jurmala
In the men’s competition, home stars and 2015 European champions Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins will contest Pool A, together with the world’s no. 1 team, two-time defending champions Anders Mol and Christian Sandlie Sørum of Norway, Estonian duo Kusti Nõlvak/Mart Tiisaar and Austria’s Alexander Huber/Christoph Dressler. In turn, Martins Plavins and Edgars Tocs will play in a ‘group of death’, featuring 2019 silver medal winners Konstantin Semenov/Ilya Leshukov of Russia, Austria’s Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst and Dries Koekelkoren/Tom Van Walle of Belgium.
Latvia’s Minister of Education and Science Ilga Suplinska was among the prominent guests to attend the EuroBeachVolley DOL
A number of high-profile guests attended the Drawing of Lots, including Latvia’s Minister of Education and Science Ilga Suplinska, Jurmala City Vice-Mayor Rita Sproge, the President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation Janis Buks and Tournament Director Kaspars Timermanis, as well as CEV Vice-President Maris Pekalis and CEV Supervisor Laos Lukas.
“We can be pleased that Latvia is the only European country where an event of this scale is taking place this year. This confirms both Latvia’s ability to gather the brightest sports stars from 20 countries and to act professionally and operatively even under the conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Good luck to all the athletes in the tournament!” said the Minister of Education and Science, Ilga Suplinska.
The President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation, Mr Janis Buks, portrayed during the DOL held on Wednesday in Jurmala
“An unprecedented tournament awaits us - all the best European Beach Volleyball players will be in Jurmala. We are currently preparing for this event to take place at the highest level. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Ministry of Education and Science and Jurmala City Council because without them this tournament would not have taken place. I wish our players the ability to show their best performance and to delight all Beach Volleyball fans,” said Janis Buks, President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation.
“Beach Volleyball in Jurmala has become a tradition - the best Beach Volleyball players in Europe and the world have been competing in Jurmala every year since 2014. I am glad that among the strongest Beach Volleyball players there are locals as well. I invite everyone to come, enjoy the taste of high-level competition and sympathise with our athletes,” added Rita Sproge, Jurmala City Vice-Mayor.
For further information, visit the official event website https://eurobeachvolley.cev.eu.
Reigning European champions Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka (pictured above) feature in women’s Pool E – along with Austria’s Katharina Schützenhöfer/Lena Plesiutschnig, Ksenia Dabizha/Daria Rudykh of Russia and Finland’s Riikka Lehtonen/Niina Ahtiainen.
“We train every day here in Jurmala and focus on every ball. We will try to enjoy this tournament and show our best performance,” said Kravcenoka. She and Graudina sensationally claimed gold last year in Moscow to emulate the historic feat achieved by their compatriots Inguna Minusa and Inese Jursone, who had won gold ten years earlier in Sochi.
The EuroBeachVolley trophy was on display on Wednesday in Jurmala
In the men’s competition, home stars and 2015 European champions Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins will contest Pool A, together with the world’s no. 1 team, two-time defending champions Anders Mol and Christian Sandlie Sørum of Norway, Estonian duo Kusti Nõlvak/Mart Tiisaar and Austria’s Alexander Huber/Christoph Dressler. In turn, Martins Plavins and Edgars Tocs will play in a ‘group of death’, featuring 2019 silver medal winners Konstantin Semenov/Ilya Leshukov of Russia, Austria’s Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst and Dries Koekelkoren/Tom Van Walle of Belgium.
Latvia’s Minister of Education and Science Ilga Suplinska was among the prominent guests to attend the EuroBeachVolley DOL
A number of high-profile guests attended the Drawing of Lots, including Latvia’s Minister of Education and Science Ilga Suplinska, Jurmala City Vice-Mayor Rita Sproge, the President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation Janis Buks and Tournament Director Kaspars Timermanis, as well as CEV Vice-President Maris Pekalis and CEV Supervisor Laos Lukas.
“We can be pleased that Latvia is the only European country where an event of this scale is taking place this year. This confirms both Latvia’s ability to gather the brightest sports stars from 20 countries and to act professionally and operatively even under the conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Good luck to all the athletes in the tournament!” said the Minister of Education and Science, Ilga Suplinska.
The President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation, Mr Janis Buks, portrayed during the DOL held on Wednesday in Jurmala
“An unprecedented tournament awaits us - all the best European Beach Volleyball players will be in Jurmala. We are currently preparing for this event to take place at the highest level. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Ministry of Education and Science and Jurmala City Council because without them this tournament would not have taken place. I wish our players the ability to show their best performance and to delight all Beach Volleyball fans,” said Janis Buks, President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation.
“Beach Volleyball in Jurmala has become a tradition - the best Beach Volleyball players in Europe and the world have been competing in Jurmala every year since 2014. I am glad that among the strongest Beach Volleyball players there are locals as well. I invite everyone to come, enjoy the taste of high-level competition and sympathise with our athletes,” added Rita Sproge, Jurmala City Vice-Mayor.
For further information, visit the official event website https://eurobeachvolley.cev.eu.