Season's greetings

After a long and hard 2011, from my personal point of view, I am really glad to get some free days for Christmas and New Year to think a little bit about this last year, of what was good and what was less good, in beachvolleyball but also in professional and private life.

I hope that you will also have some relaxed days to get ready for the new challenges of 2012.

So, to conclude 2011, I wish you a very merry christmas with your family and friends, a crazy New Year's Eve and all my best wishes of health and luck for 2012 and for your next, hopefully injure-free beachvolleyball season....

See you next year...

La lucertola

Information about Beachvolley Courts in Luxembourg

Besides the global informations about all the beachvolleyball courts in Luxembourg on this blog, you can now find all the luxembourgish courts also on http://beachvb.net.

This great internet site gives you information about many beachvolleyball courts all over the world. For each location you can add photos, reviews, update the informations if something changed, enter some events, add links to your associations, and so on.

So have a look on this site and feel free to put some more information on it. If you are planning a beachvolleyball trip or simply any holiday where you want to play some balls over the net, this internet site will be really helpful.

The webmaster Patrick is also a very nice guy and really motivated to help you get some informations on the net.

The right tool, in the right time, to plan your 2012 beachvolleyball season....

Greetings from "BeachVolleyballOverTheWorld" BVAW

BVAW has concluded its third international beach volleyball circuit. A fantastic, emotional, happy season. We watch with confidence to the future, although the serious moments of crisis. Because we believe in friendship and in solidarity. Who has honored us of its presence in our events knows well what we want to transmit.
BVAW by now is known all over the world, thanks to all of you. We have started with humility and opening. And such we will remain.
Anyone will be able to contribute to make BVAW the greatest Beach Volleyball sport movement in the world.
Sincerely we thanks all those who supported us, than have advised us, appreciated and helped to grow.
A big Hello from all the Staff and see you soon in 2012!

International season end... and a last training camp

This weekend, the last official FIVB Tournament, exclusively for women-teams, will end the 2011 Swatch World Tour in Phuket. The semi-finals having already been plaid, the last two games of the season will oppose Bawden-Palmer (AUS) and Cicolari-Menegatti (ITA)in the 3rd-place-game and the chinese team Xue-Zhang Xi will compete against the US-team Kessy-Ross, the 2009 world-champion, in the final.

The young italian team made an impressive 2011 season and we wish them good luck for this last season-game. In Phuket, they missed the final only by loosing 21-18 and 21-19 against Kessy-Ross in the semi-final !! Really promising.

Unfortunately, my favourite brazilian team, the Salgado-Sisters finished at the quite disappointing 13th place, loosing against Fendrick-Hanson from the USA. What proves again that it's easier to get to the top (5th place in the 2007 World-Championship in Gstad) than to confirm such great performances.

In Luxembourg, the beachvolleyball-season has already finished 2 months ago and it's time to begin thinking about the preparation of the 2012 season with some training-camps in spring.

But first a very last 2011 training-camp will be held in December in La Santa on Lanzarote. As for the last years, my friend Andreas Haak is organizing this event. There are still some places left, so call or write him to participate (T: 0049 / 157 780 717 62; mail@beach-camp.es; more infos on www.beach-camp.es).

It's always big fun and there will be 8-9 training units in 7 days on 2 courts. Size of the group will not exceed 8-12 participants, in order to maintain a good training quality and group-spirit.

Yesterday evening, the first cranes finally left our region for the warmer south and so I wish you all a very short winter and already a good preparation for the next beachvolleyball-season.

See you soon

La lucertola

Beachfeeling......

New page online !! Beachvolleyball Courts in Luxembourg

A new page is now online on my blog - with links to all the beachvolleyball courts in Luxembourg and abroad, outdoor and indoor.

For the moment you will find only the beachvolleyball courts in Luxembourg - 33 courts in 16 locations !! 

 

More courts in the greater region and the nearest indoor beachvolleyball courts will be added soon.

A lack of infrastructure is no more an excuse not to play beachvolleyball :-)

National Beachvolleyball Center in Esch/Alzette

After a longer period without any news from the project of a national Beachvolleyball Center in Esch/Alzette, finally last week there was a big step forward in this ambitious project. The city council of Esch/Alzette voted the project which will cost about 10,5 millions of EUR and will be composed of three major parts:

1) the beachvolleyball courts, that will also be useable for other beach-sports, 2) the locker rooms for the beachvolleyball players and the football players of the FC Jeunesse and a 3) hall for fencing sport. Beside these major parts, some other rooms (for meetings, and so on) will also be part of the project.

"Diekirch Plage" has opened again

As the last 4 years, "Diekirch Plage" has opened its doors on 9th July. The beach behind the swimming hall in Diekirch is open to public every day of the week from 14:00 to 19:30 from monday to saturday, and even from 11:00 to 19:30 on sundays.

500 tons of sand have been banked up and 4 beach courts are available for the public. If the sun is burning too much, you can go for a swim in the swimming hall. Entry fee is 3 EUR for adults and 1,50 EUR for children.

Animation will be guaranteed on several week-ends by the volleyballclub CHEV Diekirch with its Beachvolleyball- and Beach-Völkerball-tournaments.

So enjoy the luxemburgish summer with your feet in the sand of "Diekirch Plage" and savour a delicious drink at the beach-bar.

Grethen / Zambon and Decker / Richtarik get the 2011 Champion title

 (c) Photos by Guy Erpelding/Tom Kirtz

This week-end, the national Beachvolleyball Championships took place in Capellen. This year, the competition was organised in joint venture between the FLVB and the volleyballclub of Mamer.

On Saturday, 6 women teams fought for the title in a round robin system where Grethen / Zambon, quite logically, won their 5 games and finished first of the tournament. Vice-champion is the team Mander / Risch who successfully defeated the younger teams. It seems that in beachvolleyball, experience can always make it about youth.

Congratulations to Anne and Norma, who deserve this title, as they are the only team to focus on beachvolleyball, all year long.

In the men's category, the title was played on Sunday. 11 teams registered

Luxemburgish Beachvolley Championships in Capellen

The 2011 luxemburgish championships will be organised by the VC Mamer in joint venture with the FLVB this weekend in Capellen.

There will be no constraints concerning the registrations of the teams, but, if every team is eligible to win the tournament, only teams with both players coming with a valid FLVB-licence can be declared Beachvolleyball Champion of Luxembourg.

Saturday 9th July will be reserved for the women's category where finally only 6 teams showed their interest. As there are few teams, the playing system will be a round robin, where each team plays against all the others. After 5 games the teams with the most wins will be declared winner of the tournament, without semi-final and final games.

World Championship 2011: Brazilian domination

After 7 days of competition, the winning teams of the 2011 Worldchampionship are finally known:

In the Men's category, the final game opposed two brazilian teams Alison/Emanuel and Ricardo/Marcio which was quite an interesting duel as Ricardo and Emanuel played together very successfully the last years. But everyone who has seen Emanuel and the "Mammoth" (nickname of Alison Cerutti) playing together, could not imagine one stronger team.

So the men's final was unfortunately a game without surprises, as tactically Ricardo/Marcio had a difficult position. Knowing the strenght of attack of Emanuel Rego against the block of Ricardo, they decided to serve on the block player Alison with his 2,03 m, 106 kg and incredible strength, relying on Ricardo's block. On the other side, Alison/Emanuel served on Marcio, who had big difficulties against Alison's block.

World Championship 2011: 1st day of competition

After defining the pools, the official game program is now also online on the internet. The games are starting today (Monday 13th June) at 11:35 in the women's category and at 13:00 in the men's category.

All actual standings in the different pools will also be published on the FIVB-Internetsite (Women / Men).

Join us in Rome and have big fun. If this is not possible for you, think on following the games on www.sportube.tv. If this channel is not available, the games can also be watched on www.laola.tv.

World Championship 2011: Pool compositions published

One week before the start of the World Championships, the composition of the different pools has been published on the official internet site (Women / Men).

The exact schedule of the games is not yet elaborated, but a global overview of the games time schedule can be found at the results page on the official internet site.

The Beachvolley World Championships live streaming on Sportube

Sportube, the official web TV of FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Championships powered by Smart Rome 2011, will broadcast daily streaming live of the best matches of Beach Volleyball World Championships. 

A 360-degree presence will ensure not only direct but also lots of entertainment based around the event rainbow: commentary, interviews with hot stars, interaction with the audience and backstage events. 

The World Championships of Beach Volleyball, scheduled from June 13 to 19 at the Foro Italico in Rome, will take advantage of the important collaboration of the web tv visible on the  website www.sportube.tv.

Thorsten Endres to assume management of CEV headquarters from next October

Luxembourg, June 4, 2011. Ten years after assuming the leadership and management of the CEV headquarters in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, CEV Administrative Director Olivier Mottier has decided to leave the European Volleyball Confederation to go back to his home country, Switzerland, in order to stay closer to his family and explore there some other professional challenges, expressing his wish to stay in contact with the Volleyball family. Mr. Thorsten Endres of Germany will take over his position but there will be a transition as Mr. Mottier will be fully responsible for the organization of the XXXII CEV General Assembly scheduled for next September 16-17 in Vienna and supporting his follower until October 1 in order to assure the needed transfer of knowledge and the smooth run of all future operations.

GSSE Liechtenstein: 5th and last day of competition

For Anne and Norma, this last day of the competition announced the game for 3rd place on the podium, the bronze medal. Their opponent was again the team from Malta, against which Anne and Norma had won in the pool-games-phase 2-0, but with a very tight score in the second set (24-22).

But the game for 3rd place was even getting harder and the luxemburgish team needed to go in the tiebreak to finally win the game in three sets 2-1, after 51 minutes of playing.

If the first set was won by Anne and Norma 21-18, the second one was lost 16-21. But the tiebreak was once again won with some latitude 15-10 and the bronze medal belonged to our beach team.

GSSE Liechtenstein: 4th day of competition - semi-finals

Unfortunately, today was a bad day for Anne and Norma, and Cyprus was too strong to be beaten in the semi-final. After a successful first set of the luxemburgish team (21-15) the second one was lost rather clearly 13-21 and the two teams had to play a tie-break. In this last set, Cyprus continued to score and it seemed that they had successfully adjusted their play after the first set, to benefit from the weak points of their opponent. Final result of the tiebreak was therefore 7-15 for Cyprus. So perhaps, the better tactic decided the game, but this is hard to say without more detailed informations from the players of both teams. (Results)

This evening, at their hotelroom, Anne and Norma have the difficult exercice, as always in this kind of very short tournament to forget the defeat and to focus on the 3rd-place-game that will take place tomorrow, in order to try to bring a bronze-medal back to Luxembourg.

Keep on fighting... yes, you can....

GSSE Liechtenstein: 3rd day of competition

As expected was the last pool game against Andorra the easiest one for the luxemburgish team, at least concerning the score. Anne and Norma won clearly 21-8 and 21-7 and finish first of their pool with 3 games won out of three.

As there was no other surprise in pool A, Cyprus finish second and will therefore be our team's opponent for the semi-final tomorrow at 18:00.

Having a look at the won-lost-point-ratio of the two pools, it appears that pool B seems stronger with Anne and Norma having a ratio of 1.675 and the second team Malta 1.240. In pool A the first team Liechtenstein appears a ratio of 1.200 and Cyprus (because of their first game loss) only 1.112. On the paper, the luxemburgish team could eventually be considered as favourite, but the real truth on the court may be very different tomorrow. But knowing Norma, she will be totally motivated to take revenge, in a sporty way, on the Cyprus team, after the incident in Limassol, two years ago.

Complete results of the pool games

Go for the final, Anne and Norma - we believe in you....

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Presentation of the GSSE 2013 in Luxembourg

Yesterday was also the almost now traditional press conference organised by the COSL. As the next GSSE in 2013 will be held in Luxembourg, the most important and attended point of the agenda was surely the presentation of the games in Luxembourg. If a lot of details are not known for the moment, the COSL could nevertheless present a framework of the next edition with the sports and the locations that will mainly be in Luxembourg City.

After some discussions about some locations in the south of the country, it finally appears that the objective to have games with very short distances between the locations, has overcome the more political views.

Very good news also for beachvolleyball, because if some rumours appeared that beachvolleyball would not be part of the 2013 games, finally the discipline has been confirmed with the plan to construct a beachvolleyball-arena for the games near the Coque on Kirchberg. The GSSE 2013 without beachvolleyball would have been a huge step backwards for our sport.

For more detailed informations, see the articles in tageblatt or Luxemburger Wort.

GSSE Liechtenstein: 2nd day of competition

Today, the luxemburgish team had to compete against Malta, a team not too strong to be beaten in theory. But if the first set was won clearly 21-14 by Anne and Norma, the second set was much more difficult and the girls were struggling as they were led by 6 points on the score. So nervousness was beginning to install itself in the heads of Anne and Norma what made it even more difficult to win the sideouts in order to close the gap. But after 3 successfully defended set points, the luxemburgish team closed finally the second set, and the game, on a score of 24-22. A little bit unexpected, the team from malta appeared to be stronger than Monaco.

Detailed results

After two days of competition against the stronger teams of their pool, our beach-team is on its way to the semi-finals. The game tomorrow against Andorra should be the easiest one, but Anne and Norma have to stay focussed.

Considering the results of the other pool, normally, if everything goes right tomorrow, Anne and Norma should meet Cyprus already in the semi-final, as Cyprus lots its first game against Liechtenstein.

Good luck for tomorrow to our beachvolley team.

GSSE Liechtenstein: 1st day of competition

Good start for the luxemburgish team Grethen/Zambon against Monaco. Two years ago, the team from Monaco beat Norma and Jeanne in a very dramatic semi-final, but this year seems to be a better one. Norma and Anne won their first game in Liechtenstein quite clearly in two sets, each 21-13.

The game between Andorra and Malta was also clearly decided by Malta with an undiscussed 2-0 win. The third game of the day, where Liechtenstein was challenging Cyprus, the gold medal winner of 2009, in a game lasting more than an hour. After a hard fight, finally Liechtenstein won 2-1. Was this the first surprise of the tournament?

The competition will continue tomorrow with Anne and Norma playing their second match against Malta at 15:00 - results and game schedule for the following days by clicking here.

Keep on going girls....

Invitation for the Kiischpelt Beachvolleyball-Tournament

The club "Jeunesse Kiischpelt", organizer of the beachvolleyball tournament in Wilwerwiltz from 5th to 7th August 2011, have published detailed informations on their facebook-page.

LOCATION:

Wilwerwiltz near the train station

PROGRAM:

5. August:

Opening

15:00 - Beachvölkerball for children

21:00 - Party with Dj Dee

6. August:

12:00 - Beachvolley Mixed-Tournament 2x2

21:00 - Afterparty with the Coverband "Crossing"
7. August:
11:00 - Beachvolley Hobby-Tournament 4x4
Of course there will be music and animation for the whole week-end with DJ Fighter 

If you want to know more about this great event in Wilwerwiltz, just have a look on their page.

Beachvolleyball Championships - Ticket sale has started

Traditionally, the entrance for the Beachvolleyball Championships (just as for other tournaments) is FREE. Nevertheless, for the 2011 Championships in Rome the entrance is free only from 13rd to 17th June. For the final, 3rd-place-game (19th June) and the semi-finals (18th June), you have to buy tickets on sale on the internet, during the period from 17th May to 17th June.

But the prices are very reasonable and two price-categories exist: 1st row (10 EUR per day) and 2nd row (5 EUR per day). Your maximum expenditure will therefore be incredibly 20 EUR for the whole week-end of best sports action.

So get your tix', travel to Rome and have big fun....

Beach @ GSSE Liechtenstein - Schedule

The schedule of the competitions at the "Games of the Small States of Europe" (GSSE) have been announced officially and published online at www.liegames2011.li

The one and only remaining luxemburgish Beachvolleyball-Team Grethen-Zambon have first to dispute 3 games in a pool with Monaco, Malta and Andorra.

Schedule of the games:

31/05 - 14:00: Monaco - Luxembourg

01/06 - 15:00: Luxembourg - Malta

02/06 - 18:00: Luxembourg - Andorra

After these first-round-games, the first and second of both pools are playing the semi-finals and the third placed teams are playing a game for 5th place (Friday, 3rd June). On Saturday, 4th June, the game for bronze- and gold-medal will be played (10:00 and 13:00).

Good luck to Anne and Norma... May the ball fly for our team....

Beachvolley Tournaments 2011 in Diekirch

The invitation for the 2011 Beach-Tournaments (Beachvolley and Beachvölkerball) is now officially published.

09/07: Hobby Tournament 4x4

10/07: Beachvölkerball-Tournament

16/07: Hobby Tournament 4x4

Start will be 11:00 (AM) for the three days.

For further informations and inscription, please have a look at www.chev-vollleyball.lu

Beachvolley team selection for the GSSE 2011 in Liechtenstein

The "Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois" (COSL) had announced on Monday 9 May his official selection of athletes for the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), to be held in Liechtenstein from 30 May to 9 June.

If the female beachvolley-team Grethen-Zambon has been confirmed, the big astonishment concerns the men's team Karier-Thill that has been withdrawn. It was not very clear, in the written press, if Karier-Thill declared themselves not to be ready for the games, or if the team has furthermore, as it seems, been withdrawn by the national federation FLVB, with or without some pressure from the COSL.

Grethen-Zambon reach Semi-Finals in Lubbeek

Après avoir joué le samedi 5 sets d’entraînement contre une équipe de haut niveau, à savoir le duo Horm/Lieckens, le duo Grethen/Zambon affrontait tout de suite au 1er match du tournoi à Lubbeek une autre équipe de haut niveau au championnat de Belgique, à savoir le duo Beken/Vandekerkhof. Dès le début nos filles étaient bien concentrées et mettaient leurs adversaires avec de services bien placés tellement sous pression qu’elles n’arrivaient pas à placer des attaques. Nos filles étaient bien placées en défense et remportaient inopinément le match avec 21-16, sachant que les rencontres de l’année passée étaient toujours très serrées.

Blog has moved

Thanks for visiting - but this blog will be no longer updated.

Please have a look at my new blog: http://lucertolabeach.blogspot.com/

The philosophy will stay the same - beach is life, life is a beach :-)

Beach-Tournament in Steinfort on 19 June

The club of Steinfort have launched the invitations for their 4x4 Hobby-Tournament on 19 June. For more informations, have a look on facebook or on the website of the club.

www.facebook.com

www.vcsteinfort.lu

Season start for Grethen-Zambon in Guldental

Le beach duo Anne Grethen/Norma Zambon commence sa saison avec la participation au tournoi à Guldental en Allemagne. Malheureusement le tournoi a été rétrogradé en catégorie B et les grands adversaires étaient absents. Uniquement 4 équipes de haut niveau y participaient.
Ainsi le duo grethen/Zambon remportait assez facilement ses 5 matchs de pool. Pour chaque mach, les deux filles se fixaient différents buts. Lors d’un match, elles se concentraient uniquement sur le service, lors d’un autre match elles devraient attaquer toutes les balles vers les lignes ou bien dans un autre match encore elles attaquaient beaucoup de balles sur les adversaires afin de pouvoir se positionner par la suite en défense.

A new start with a new blog

Hello, Beachvolleyball-Fanatics out there !!
A new season is in the starting blocks and so I start a new blog to give you some news about Beachvolleyball in Luxembourg and beyond its borders. For the new season, I wish you all a very healthy and injury-free summer 2011 being nice and successful.
May the sunny weather always be with you !!
If my old blog "luxbeachvolley.blogspot.com" has not been updated for some 2 years now, this has a reason as I engaged myself, with some helping hands, in the Luxembourg Volleyball Federation (FLVB). But after 16 months of really hard labour to try, inside the FLVB, to bring Beachvolleyball a step forward to a highly