Beach Volleyball: Phuket Thailand Open Ready To Decide World Number One

[Lite Beer]

Beach Volleyball: Phuket Thailand Open ready to decide World Number One

The Phuket Thailand Open is the world's largest women's beach volleyball event.

PHUKET: Seventeen of the world's top 20-ranked teams have confirmed their participation in the PTT Phuket Thailand Open, the final round of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour, which will take place on Phuket's Karon Beach from November 1 to 6.

The Phuket tournament is the world's largest women's beach volleyball event and will see the teams competing this year for US$190,000 in cash prizes.

Among the elite pairings are the current world champions and world number one team of Franca Larissa and Felisberta Da Silva Juliana of Brazil. Winning the 2011 World Championship in Rome, the formidable duo have also captured gold medals in five other tournaments this year.

Their closest rivals are likely to be the reigning and two-time Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the US, who are occupying the number two spot in the world rankings.

Asia's leading team, the Guangzhou Asian Games gold medallists Chinese Chen Xue and Zhang Xi, who hold third place in the rankings, will also be here for the games.

The total number of teams entering the Phuket tournament is likely to exceed last year's record of 70.

To date, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the US and Thailand have already submitted their entries.

There will be live TV broadcasts nationally and internationally to over 700 million households worldwide of the two semi-final matches on November 5 and the third-place play-off and the final showdown on November 6. PGTV, the television arm of the Phuket Gazette, will also be broadcasting the November 6 games.

"According to our data, around 20,000 spectators watched the matches in the six-day tournament last year. Among them were about 5,000 Thais. During the competition, an approximate 350 million baht was spent in Phuket, which helped to promote tourism in Phuket and Thailand alike," said Wiwatchai Boonyapak, executive director of the events department of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

"Only China and Thailand have been chosen as the two host countries in Asia. I hope this tournament will run smoothly and be a memorable success as in the past five years," said Geoffrey Rowe, managing director of Pentangle Promotions, and Tournament Director.

The Nation, the Phuket Gazette and PGTV are charter sponsors of this world-class annual event in Phuket.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/_s10993

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-09-18

[ScubaBuddha]

Good fun. Fittest women in the world. I really enjoy this every year. The relatively small venue really makes it more personal. Too bad it will likely be the last one in Phuket. According to the director there's not enough sponsorship.

A couple things I hope they fix from last year(s). The music and sound was horrible. Seemed they had just one music drop and that blaring "Swatch world volley tour!" between every point was nauseating. http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=1172

There is also no parking which just ends up with conflicts with the tuk tuk drivers who claim many of the beach road public parking spaces as theirs. There were reports of cars being damaged by them at past FIVB events.

[madmitch]

Is the Phuket tournament really the world's largest beach volleyball event or has the Gazette used just a tiny bit of exaggeration?

[steelepulse]

I think they're saying this tournament gets more entries than any other tournament. For sure most other tournaments get more spectators.

[ScubaBuddha]

I think they're saying this tournament gets more entries than any other tournament. For sure most other tournaments get more spectators.

that is correct

[Shot]

Do they need a WP?

[Atmos]

^ answered on this forum -

Transit visa

This type of visa will be issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes :

- to participate in sports activities (sportsmen, sportswomen, etc.) category S

read more

we went to the Phuket event November 2009, very poorly attended, though weather had some impact with frequent downpours most days.

[steelepulse]

Last year's attendance was much better than in 2009, probably by 300-400%.

[Atmos]

^ best memory from 2009 was during one of the many downpours play was abandoned, and the only decent shelter was in the markets across the road; tall women in bikinis go clothes shopping!

[ScubaBuddha]

^ best memory from 2009 was during one of the many downpours play was abandoned, and the only decent shelter was in the markets across the road; tall women in bikinis go clothes shopping!

I was going to ask about that. It's pissing down now, and the bronze match is scheduled in 15 minutes.

[LivinginKata]

^ best memory from 2009 was during one of the many downpours play was abandoned, and the only decent shelter was in the markets across the road; tall women in bikinis go clothes shopping!

I was going to ask about that. It's pissing down now, and the bronze match is scheduled in 15 minutes.

It's not that bad. Only some light drizzle here in Kata. Not enough to stop play.

[ScubaBuddha]

^ best memory from 2009 was during one of the many downpours play was abandoned, and the only decent shelter was in the markets across the road; tall women in bikinis go clothes shopping!

I was going to ask about that. It's pissing down now, and the bronze match is scheduled in 15 minutes.

It's not that bad. Only some light drizzle here in Kata. Not enough to stop play.

Amazing how localized it can be. Been raining all morning in Chalong/Rawaii. Last couple hours a deluge, flooding. I think a bolt of lightning just about hit my house. Lightening up quite a bit now. Will head to Karon and see whats happening. Mainly want to catch the gold medal match USA vs China.

[GrantPhuket]

http://blip.tv/grantphuket/china-won-phuket-fivb-beach-volleyball-final-5712594

VDO of both1st & 3rd place finals, presentations & short interviews with Chinese winners
&

http://blip.tv/grantphuket/phuket-schools-beach-volleyball-final-chats-5714143

VDO of most of Phuket Schools 1st place final, won by SOS orphans village & short chats with 3 teams