The Confederation Africane de Volleyball (CAVB) hosted a wonderful beach volleyball tournament in Uganda last week (Nov. 26-27). The two-day double gender event welcomed beach volleyball duos from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi
and debutants Sudan. The home teams from Uganda availed the superb opportunity and took full advantage of playing on home sands. The emotional support of fans and familiar beaches provided them a competitive edge in the game and they pushed everyone behind.
In the men’s events, Okello Ambrose and Otim Dickens earned the gold medal. The Ugandan ladies also put up a great fight and settled for second and third position respectively. On the whole, this tournament was a great success for Uganda.
Men’s Quarter finals
Okello Ambrose and Otim Dickens of Uganda clashed with two teams in the quarter finals. In the first match, they defeated fellow countrymen Deo Nsereko and Henry Bbaale. They outplayed their compatriots and maintained their winning
streak in the tournament. In the next match on the same day, they went up against defending Champions Ntwari and Miani of Burundi. It was a tough match, which generated a lot of buzz in the tournament. The pairing of Okello Ambrose and Otim Dickens played
with great style and managed to steal victory from the defending Champions. The duo of Ambrose/Dickens qualified for the semi-final match against Rwanda.
Semi-final combat
Okello Ambrose/Otim Dickens were challenged by Rwanda’s Kwezera Marchard/Mutesi Leon in the semi-final. Uganda’s team was unbeaten remained unbeaten going into the semi-finals. The start of the match was not very good for the home-team.
They fought bravely but couldn’t avoid the chances of loss in the first sets. The visitors posted a 21-18 victory over Uganda’s team. However, the home duo managed to take revenge from their rivals in the following sets. They ousted a 21-19 victory in the
second set and leveled the game score. Afterwards, they remained on the same winning track and also captured the 15-point golden set. Uganda claimed the third set by scoring 15-9. The fantastic victory in the semi-finals enabled them to play in the final match
on Saturday, the 27th November.
Final Showdown
The final match of the tournament saw Kenya and Uganda go head to head on Saturday. Representing Kenya were Ibrahim Oduor and Evans Bera, who outshined in the earlier stages of the tournament and advanced to the finals. The duo of Ambrose/Otim enjoyed
a great winning streak and they were ready to overpower the Kenyan team. The final showdown started with an exchange of powerful serves from both sides. Evans Bera floated the ball in the air with great skill and supplied plenty of power hits. On the other
side of the net, the Ugandan players defended well and returned the ball. The battle continued and Uganda pulled off a victory in the first set with a score of 21-17.
The Kenyan team hit back strongly in the following set. They attacked from different angles. Gradually they took control of the game. They continued with their hard-hitting game and earned a 21-13 victory in the second set. Anyhow,
Uganda achieved success in the third set after a tiring fight. They scored17-15 and got their hands on the title trophy of the 5th Club International Beach Volleyball Championship.
Next plan
After the successful completion of the 5th Club International Beach Volleyball Championship in Uganda, the Confederation Africane de Volleyball (CAVB) is going to organise another exciting Continental Cup on Lake Kivu,
Rwanda next month. The Continental Cup will serve as a qualification stage for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Continental Cup in Rwanda is scheduled to start on the 2nd
of December, with the final results on the 4th.
Tags: