The Hague, Netherlands, May 22, 2015 - The World Champs Beach Blog is your weekly update of news ahead of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015.
Injuries trouble Dutch men’s teams
In the first two tournaments of the new season, teams from the Netherlands earned three podium places. Brouwer/Meeuwsen won two silver medals at the Fuzhou Open and the Lucerne Open, Meppelink/VanIersel also finished in second place in Lucerne.
Despite this promising start of the season, there is also some caution within the Dutch team. In the past few weeks some players were plagued by injuries. After Michiel van Dorsten (meniscus) and Reinder Nummerdor (Achilles tendon) Robert Meeuwsen sustained an injury to his right knee.
“I never speak about bad luck” Dutch head coach
Gijs
Ronnes said.
“Therefore we need to analyze how we trained. With the game we play, power volleyball, the chances of getting injured increase.”
The World Championships are not at risk for his players, Ronnes said. “Taking part will not be a problem, but to actually have a chance of winning, you need match practice. It is important for the teams to play a few tournaments before competing in the World Championships.”
Nummerdor had a MRI-scan made this week and posted a message on his Facebook page: “Moscow will come a bit too early but we will be there during the Grand Slam in Porec (3-7 June).”
After a last physical test on Saturday, Brouwer and Meeuwsen will decide if they take part in the FIVB Moscow Grand Slam.
DJ’s train with the World Champions
Radio 538 DJ’s Daniël and Ivo are trying to qualify for the Beach Volleyball World Championships. The DJ’s are aiming for the Dutch wildcard. To obtain that ambitious goal the are trained by none other than Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen.
Last Wednesday, Daniël and Ivo received a beach volleyball master class by the reigning World Champion at the SS Rotterdam. Next month a stadium will be built on the quay in front of the steamboat especially for the World Championships. Brouwer/Meeuwsen will be one of the teams playing their pool matches at this venue.
Trophy Tour visits Olympic Stadium
With a little more than one month to go until the World Championships, the Trophy Tour is beginning its last month. The official world championships trophy will visit many special places in the weeks ahead of the World Championships in order to make the Dutch crowd aware of the event.
The Trophy was revealed March 30 at the Drawing of Lots in the Mauritshuis. It has already been on display in The Hague, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Rotterdam over the past weeks.
This weekend the Trophy will visit the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam for Copa Amsterdam. During this sports festival, people are able to experience new sports. There will be clinics, demos and sports activities. Visitors can participate in the (beach)volleyball activities and win tickets for the World Championships in Amsterdam. Of course mascot Spike will join this party too.
Keemink and Vismans analyze their opponents
Wessel Keemink and Sven Vismans played their first joint international tournament last week. The winners of a wildcard for the World Championships participated in the qualifications of the Lucerne Open. Despite the fact that they were eliminated in the first round of the qualification, Vismans explains that the trip was useful: “We went to Luzern to play, but when we were eliminated, we had the chance to observe and analyze our opponents.”
The Dutch pair visited the matches of Semenov/Krasilnikov (Rus) and Yakovlev/Kuleshov (Kaz), two of their opponents in the group stage of the World Championship this summer.
“We can surely post a good result against the team from Kazakhstan, they also lost in the qualifications in Luzern. We will beat them at the World Championships. But that Russian duo is really good”