Magbabalik ang Beach Volleyball Republic matapos ang isinagawang national championships sa pagdadala ng mga de-kalidad na international campaigner sa Invitational Tournament na sasambulat sa Hunyo 9-12 sa Aguib Beach sa Sta.Ana, Cagayan Valley.
Pitong bansa na bumubuo sa 12 koponan ang magsasagupa para sa prestihiyong titulo sa torneo na sanctioned ng Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Incorporated.
Kabilang sa foreign team ang Brazil, USA, Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, at New Zealand.
“We waived the sanctioned fee for this tournament only because the LVPI wants to give more importance to the sports of beach volley,” sabi ni LVPI vice-president Peter Cayco. “We are a country of 7,100 islands and yet we only had plenty of tournaments. Aside from that, beach volley is an Olympic sports,” aniya.
Ikinatuwa naman nina BVR founder Charo Soriano, Dzi Gervacio, Fille Cayetano, Gretchen Ho at Alexa Micek ang tulong ng LVPI sa pagpapaubaya sa tournament fee na US$10,000.
“Our objective really is to promote the sports of beach volley because we believe that we can discover talents all over the country and develop them to be the best in these sports,” sabi ni Soriano, na sasabak sa torneo katambal ang dati nitong pareha na si Bea Tan.
Dadayo naman sa bansa ang pareha nina Erica Adachi at Rupia Inc (Brazil 2), Mimi Amaral at Bruna Figueredo (Brazil 1), Tan Shiang Teng at Ong Wei Yu (Singapore 1), Rachel Lau Yue Ting at Eliza Chong Hui Hui (Singapore 2), Jennifer Snyder at Chara Harris (USA 1) at Alexa Micek at Leah Hinkey (USA 2).
Sasabak din sa torneo sina Lo Wai Yan at Yueng Yuk Mei (Hongkong 1), Kong Cheuk Yee at Tong Wing Tung (Hongkong 2), Julia Tilley at Alice Bain (New Zealand), Yupa Phokongploy-Rachel Sherman ng Team Thailand-USA at host Bea Tan-Charo Soriano (BVR1) at Jennifer Cosas at Dij Rodrigues (BVR2).
Magkakasama sa Pool A ang Brazil 1, BVR 2 at Singapore 1 habang magkakagrupo sa Pool B ang USA 1, BVR1 at Hongkong 2. Nasa Pool C ang pareha ng Thai-USA, Brazil 2 at Singapore 2 habang nasa Pool D ang New Zealand, USA 2 at Hongkong 1.
Kabuuang US$26,500 ang paglalabanan sa torneo at iuuwi ng kampeon ang $6,000; second place ay $4,500; third place $3,500; fourth place $2,500 at fifth place $1,500. Ang 5th to 8th place ay may $1,000 maiuuwi. (Angie Oredo)