The 7th European Universities Beach-Volleyball Championship, held in Kazan, Russia between July 5 and 10, 2010, officially started today with the Opening ceremony. The event was attended by the Minister of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Mr Rafis Burganov, Honorary President of the Russian Volleyball Federation Mr Valentin Zhukov, Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Board Mr Vladimir A. Leonov, EUSA EC Member Mr Leonz Eder, EUSA СT Chair Mrs Daniela Erni, Russian representative on the FIVB Council Mr Ilya Volodarsky, President of the Volleyball Federation of the Republic of Tatarstan Mr Ilkham Rakhmatullin.

 

In his welcome speech Mr Burganov expressed gratitude to the guests of the Championship and wished success to the participants.  On behalf of the European University Sports Association Mr Eder thanked the VII European Universities Beach Volleyball Championship managers and expressed confidence that the athletes would follow the rules of fair play. After that Mr Leonov declared the VII European Universities Beach Volleyball Championship open and expressed hope that the competition would be held in the atmosphere of studentship, friendship and sports.

 

The tournament has drawn 13 men’s and 14 women’s tandems from Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, France, Spain and Russia.

 

 

Team's draw and a press conference was held in Kazan yesterday, where the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Mr Khalil Shaikhutdinov, Deputy Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Board Mr Azat Kadyrov, Honorary President of the Russian Volleyball Federation Mr Valentin Zhukov, EUSA EC Member Mr Leonz Eder and EUSA СT Mrs Chair Daniela Erni addressed the media, giving details about the championship and congratulated the press for their holiday - World Sports Journalist Day.

 

The VII European Universities Beach Volleyball Championship is organised also within the frame of preparation for the XXVII World Summer Universiade the capital of Tatarstan is staging in 2013, when beach volleyball will also be one of the sports offered.

For more information and results, please see http://s-kazan.ru/volleyball/