From left: FIVB referee delegate Joel Van Iersel, Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) president Khalil Ali al-Malawi, FIVB technical supervisor Miguel Quintana and FIVB media delegate Jeremy Inson at a press conference in Doha yesterday. PICTURE: Jayaram

By Sports Reporter/Doha


Qatar Volleyball Association (QVFA) has been mulling the possibility of hosting a Grand Slam event in the near future. Addressing a press conference on the opening day of the Beach Volleyball World Tour Qatar Open, QVA president Khalil Ali al-Malawi said Qatar is capable of hosing a Grand Slam, an annual series of events staged worldwide with the participation of some of the top ranked and emerging athletes.
“I know we are capable of hosting a Grand Slam here in Doha. We staged a very successfully first edition of Qatar Open last year and we are geared up for this edition also. We are improving the standard of the event every year,” Al-Malawi said.
“We have received a positive feedback from governing body FIVB, and the testimonials from the participants speak highly about Qatar’s capacity to host truly impressive volleyball events.”
Talking about extension of the current 3-year contract for the Qatar Open, he said: “We have kept all our options open. We may extend the current contract and are also thinking to host the some big events in the coming years.”
FIVB technical supervisor Miguel Quintana was also of the opinion that Qatar has all the credentials to host a Grand Slam. “I think World Tour is the gate for the Grand Slam event. And by organising it successfully last year, Qatar is almost ready for a Grand Slam,” said Quintana, who was also present at the press conference.
“FIVB is very satisfied with what we saw last year during the inaugural event and is hoping an even better edition this time as Qatar has the infrastructure requited for it,” he said. “The process for allotting the Grand Slam needs an application from the interested country. Only after receiving the application FIVB can take a call,” he said.
Qatar Open is a 32-team, men’s only event. It started at Al Gharafa with a qualification tournament yesterday to determine the final eight spots in the 32-team main draw, followed by two days of round robin pool play. The top three teams in the eight pools (24 total teams) will advance from pool play to the single-elimination knockout rounds. Pool play will be held today and tomorrow. Also tomorrow will be the first round of single-elimination play. Two more rounds of single-elimination and quarter-finals will be played on Thursday. The semi-finals and final will be held on Friday.
The winners will pocket $11,000, while the silver medallist will get $8,000 and the bronze medallist and fourth placed teams will receive$6,000 and $4,500, respectively.
In the last year’s inaugural open, Germany’s Tim Holler-Jonas Schroder won the gold medal, Canada’s Josh Binstock-Sam Schacter claimed the silver. France’s Youssef Krou-Edouard Rowlandson clinched the bronze.
USA’s Phil Dalhausser, a two-time Olympian and 2008 gold medallist, along with new teammate Nick Lucena are the top-seeds. The American duo have already enjoyed some notable success on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour this year. They began with silver at the Long Beach Grand Slam, added another silver at the Sochi Open and then won their first gold together at the Xiamen Open. Since then, the Americans have won silver at the World Tour Finals and another gold at the Puerto Vallarta Open.