EIGHT matches, six of them in the men’s class, usher in the main draw of the Smart Asian Volleyball Confederation Nuvali Open with the organizing Philippine National Volleyball Federation putting premium on concerns about the intense summer heat.
The matches involving 46 squads from seven Asia-Oceania countries will be determined after the preliminary inquiry scheduled late yesterday in a general meeting that also focused on expectations on temperatures in the four-day event at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts in the City of Santa Rosa.
The matches start at 8 a.m. with tickets available at www.ticketmax.ph where beach volleyball fans could avail themselves of the P220 day pass.
There will be no matches from 12 noon and 2 p.m., according to event director Antonio Carlos Jr., who added that it will be an onsite decision for the AVC Technical Delegate Thomas Chang (Hongkong) and Referee Delegate Jayaraman Srinivasan (India) in the event of a temperature surge.
PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said all systems are in place and the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land is in top shape for its second hosting of a major international competition after last December’s Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge.
“Everything is ready for the PNVF’s first major international competition for the year and precautions–such as breaks at noon when the sun is at its hottest–and medical teams well-equipped for heat-related incidents–are also in order,” Suzara said.
Major international sports events, including tennis’s Australian and US Opens, always put premium on expected high temperatures and the Smart AVC Nuvali Open is no exception, Suzara said.
The Philippine teams under Brazilian coach Joao Luciano Kiodai and Mayi Molit-Prochina include the women’s pairs of Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda, and Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola and the men’s tandems of James Buytrago and Rancel Varga and Ranran Abdilla and AJ Pareja.
