OLYMPIC and world champions plus top-ranked athletes take centerstage in the Philippine leg of the prestigious Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge that starts with the qualifiers this Thursday on five world-class sand courts in Nuvali, Santa Rosa City.
Reigning champions Anders Mol and Christian Sorum of Norway banner the cast in the loaded men’s division of the four-day competition that drew representatives from over 30 countries.
Mol and Sorum, gold medalists in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and FIVB 2022 Beach Volleyball World Championships, won the inaugural BPT Challenge season last year in Doha, Qatar.
That should be enough for the Norwegians to loom as the heavy title favorites in men’s play of the competitions hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by Ramon “Tats” Suzara.
Tickets are available at vw.ticketmax.ph pegged at P100 for morning sessions and P200 for afternoon sessions. Tickets will also be available onsite starting Thursday.
The Mol-Sorum tandem will face a bevy of challengers led by top-ranked players from Sweden, the Czech Republic, United States, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Poland and the Netherlands–which are all in the top 10 of the latest world beach volleyball rankings.
Mol and Sorum are seeded in the 16-team main draw that also includes home bets Ran Abdilla and Jaron Requinton with eight more teams coming from the qualifications featuring 32 hopefuls.
James Buytrago and Rancel Varga as well as Anthony Arbasto and Alche Gupiteo will carry the PH flag in the qualifiers of the tournament that caps the PNVF’s busy 2023 calendar and supported by gold sponsors Ayala Land, Mikasa, Senoh, Philippine Sports Commission, Pinay In Action and Smart as gold sponsors and PLDT, Gatorade, Maynilad, Rebisco, Ayala Malls, Department of Tourism, CBPI, Club Laiya, Foton as bronze sponsors.
