By Jerome Lagunzad
A job well done.
That’s the prevailing remark given by local aspirants and their foreign counterparts to the organizers of the 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open which the country hosted for the first time at the SM Sands By the Bay.
“I’m very much humbled and very happy,” said Beach Volleyball Republic co-founder Charo Soriano, who also participated in the four-day event that started last Thursday and ended on Sunday before an appreciative crowd.
“It’s was very fulfilling to see the number of people watching and the amount of support that we are getting for beach volleyball—not only for the Philippine team but even for other athletes as well.”
Japan’s Ayumi Kusano and Takemi Nishibori won their first World Tour women’s gold medal at the expense of Spanish rivals Maria Belen Carro and Paula Soria, 21-14, 21-18.
In men’s play, Germany’s Max-Jonas Karpa and Milan Sievers also snatched their breakthrough gold medal by beating Russia’s Petr Bakhnar and Taras Myskiv in come-from-behind fashion, 15-21, 23-21, 15-9.
Also filled with fulfilment were local fans who were treated with world-class beach volleyball action in the one-star tournament.
