First major tournament kicks off

DUBAI // Mohammed Abdul Karim al Julfar, the president of the UAE Volleyball Association, promises the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour event here is just the start of bigger things to come. Some of the world's biggest names will be in action at the Jumeirah Beach Park from today as the UAE hosts the Middle East's first mixed-gender FIVB beach volleyball event.

Kerri Walsh, who won the Beijing Olympic gold along with Misty May, will be the big name of the event that runs until Oct 11. Walsh be without her partner May but will instead team up with Nicole Branagh for the tournament to be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz, who won the men's silver medal in Beijing, will also take part in the US$350,000 (Dh1.28m) event. Harley Silva and Pedro Solberg Salgdo, the top-ranked men's pair in the world, will also be in action.

"This is just the start. We are thinking of hosting other volleyball events in the near future," Julfar said. "We are in talks with the FIVB, who will meet in Lausanne this month to decide the schedule from 2009 to 2012. "The UAE will be interested in hosting not just the World Tour, but the Grand Slam and the World Championship." This will be the first major beach volleyball tournament in the UAE and about 250 players from more than 40 nations are expected to participate. A 3,500-seater stadium has been built at the Jumeiah Beach Park, as well as seven outside courts.

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