Press Release

Top entries for Blackpool's international beach volleyball

Monday, August 4 2008

More than 70 teams from 17 European countries, including at least 16 pairings who will be competing at the Beijing Olympic Games, have already signed up to compete in Blackpool's 2008 NESTEA English Masters, part of Beach Volleyball's European Championships tour, which will be held from 11-14 September.

The event has attracted teams from across Europe, including as far away as Norway, Latvia, Greece, Spain and Israel. Amongst the entries are the winners of last year's FIVB International Invitational tournament, held in Blackpool, Spain's Ester Alcon and Olga Matveeva. At least two male and female entries from the GB beach volleyball team are also expected.

Indications are that this year's event will have a full entry list comprising more than 200 male and female players. The Olympic Games are officially handed over from Beijing to London on August 24th, 2008 and Blackpool's beach volleyball will be the first event of this level held in the UK after the handover.

Said Dave Spokes of tournament organisers Beach Volleyball UK Ltd: "To have more than half our quota of entries signed up two months before the event is very encouraging and testament to the popularity of Blackpool as a destination and the Northwest Regional Development Agency's support of beach volleyball." VisitBlackpool and the NWDA will be running youth tournaments and camps alongside the main event.

The NWDA is investing £3.5 million to support a programme of signature events in Blackpool over the next three years.

Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing at NWDA, said: "Blackpool is famous for hosting spectacular events and the International Beach Volleyball will be an excellent addition to Blackpool's summer season.

"This is a major event which will help to raise the profile of Blackpool on an international level, helping to attract more investment and tourists into the resort and supporting Blackpool’s economic regeneration."

VisitBlackpool won their bid to host the 2008 English Masters following Blackpool's successful staging of the UK's first FIVB international beach volleyball tournament in 2007. The European Tour is new to the UK, but it enjoys a huge public following abroad with international press and TV coverage and a final which counts towards Olympic qualification.

For more information please visit www.volleyblackpool.com.