Beach volleyball fever grips Zim

By Chris Chivinge
DO you have or aspire to be a proud owner of a pair of colourful shorts, bikini, sports bra, sunhat, trendy pair of sunglasses — you have seen those on Miami Beach wear and kept on wondering where in Zimbabwe you would put on such attire and still look “normal”?
If you do not have, then my advice is go out there spoil yourself and look all colourful and ready to go to the beach in Zimbabwe — because beach volleyball is the next addition to the country’s list of endless wonders.
Beach volleyball comes to Zimbabwe! This sounds an unlikely headline screaming in the country’s media. Why does it sound unlikely?
Firstly, Zimbabwe is landlocked with no beach. Secondly, there are no known beach volleyball players.
Zimbabweans are only exposed to the more formal six-a-side version of volleyball played more as a recreational sport than competition.
Those who have been exposed to the discipline at a higher level, have done so on a semi-professional, almost volunteer level and far from the media glare.
And thirdly, there does not seem to be any corporate sponsorship associated with volleyball to support such a development.
But, this is no April Fools Day prank – beach volleyball has invaded Zimbabwe.
And beach volleyball is heading for greater heights both as a recreational sport and as a competitive discipline.
To show for it, the sport got off to a flying start with a good showing by the Zimbabwe women’s team finishing second during the CAVB Continental Beach Volleyball Cup in Maputo, Mozambique, last week.
This earned them a berth during the next stage of the competition to be held in Durban, South Africa, at a date to be confirmed but in April.
Winners of the continental cup will have an automatic entry into the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The beach volleyball team has another assignment for the All-Africa Games qualifiers slated for March 18-20 in Walvis Bay, Namibia.
“This was our first time to participate in beach volleyball. We had to fight hard to adjust to the stringent requirements, new set of rules and the difficulty of jumping from the sand.
“Once the game starts, there is no coach and we have been used to having to rely on the coach for adjustments during play.
“It was a challenge and I am happy that the girls put up a splendid show. With better preparations and more support, we can do better and can help make Zimbabwe known as a great sporting nation,” said team captain Yeukai Mukurumbira.
Other team members were Viola Muchamboona, Nyasha Gwenzi, Nomatter Mbiza and substitute Vuyiswa Dhlomo.
The Zimbabwe men’s team finished third during the same competition.
On the global scene, beach volleyball has witnessed rapid growth since its adoption as an Olympic sport during the 1996 Atlanta edition of the Olympics.
It now commands a credible 10 percent of the total viewership during the Olympic Games and is the most viewed discipline on leading sports channels such as Eurosport.
What makes beach volleyball such a fascinating sport?
Beach volleyball is more demanding compared to the traditional volleyball in that it is played by two players on a sand court with more challenging requirements.
In addition to the challenges associated with playing, the attire is more attractive while the environment provides high entertainment value to both spectators and participants.
The first beach volleyball court that meets international standards set by the International Volleyball Federation in Zimbabwe was recently built at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Harare’s high-density suburb of Highfield, as part of preparations for the team that took part in the Mozambican edition of the African continental beach volleyball cup.
The beach volleyball court was built by slightly excavating the court and filling it up and its surroundings with river sand to create an artificial “beach”.
Spectator stands are then added to provide the required viewership and create an environment around which advertisers and partners can place their advertisements and messages.
“We had to come up with something to help prepare the players ahead of the continental beach volleyball qualifiers. We will soon embark on the programme to build more courts and put on a competition that will help popularise the sport.
“Our idea is to transform beach volleyball into a popular sport in the country that can be played anywhere by all,” said Robert Njerere, the player-coach for the Zimbabwe team as well as Zimbabwe Volleyball Association beach volleyball commissioner.
Miss Tourism Zimbabwe 2011 contestants are among the first Zimbabweans to have an experience of what beach volleyball is all about.
During their preparations for the pageant, they were invited to the Zimbabwe Grounds beach volleyball court for an afternoon of fun.
Here, they got a chance to experience the challenges of the sand court and their presence created a carnival atmosphere that drew scores of spectators.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Karikoga Kaseke said the sport had a potential to grow and could be used to boost sport tourism in the country.
“As ZTA, we see the potential for growth and development in beach volleyball and strongly believe that more can be achieved if we put our heads together to create a world-class product.
“Zimbabwe should be in a position to host world class competitions that will bring the best of the best in the sport to compete on the Zimbabwean soil. This can and should be done and we will do all we can to ensure that it happens,” said Kaseke.
On the global scene, beach volleyball owes its success to television coverage and huge amounts associated with international tournaments.
It has proven to be a huge money-spinner and helps promote tourism internally and externally in those countries that have taken it as a major sport.
In Zimbabwe, plans are underway that will see the sport setting up a national tour that will be played on a monthly basis and around the country culminating in an international tournament that should see some of the world’s top players participating.
What are you waiting for, go out there, get yourself ready to enjoy the best of Zimbabwe in terms of scenery, weather and experience on the country’s beach volleyball tour.
Chris Chivinge is the Competitions Director of the Zimbabwe Volleyball Association. He can be contacted on [email protected]