Beach volleyball goes to town to find an audience
Beach volleyball goes to town to find an audience
With not a swaying palm tree in sight, the LA Menthol Indonesia Open beach volleyball tournament is being held in the heart of Surabaya's concrete jungle of hotels, malls and offices.
The venue for the tournament, the third leg in the inaugural Indonesia Open, is the sizable carpark of Surabaya Plaza.
Two courts of sandpits have been set up surrounded by wooden stands. Six water sprinklers periodically shower the players to keep them cool.
Organizing committee official Slamet Mulyanto said venues other than the beach were not unusual.
"It's common. Take Hong Kong. The tournament is staged on the fourth floor of a four-star hotel. In Berlin, players have to mingle with mallgoers before they get to the venue in the mall's parking lot," Slamet told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He said urban dwellers were expected to come out to see the matches right on their doorstep.
"The tournament creates an appealing spectacle needed by commercial promotion," said Slamet, who is also an official of the Indonesian indoor and beach volleyball governing body PBVSI.
"With people in big numbers coming to the tournament, sponsors will find it an appropriate vehicle for promotions for their products. In return, PBVSI's efforts to hold as many tournaments as possible to boost the sport development are on track without us spending money."
The Surabaya tournament could have been held at nearby Kenjeran beach, Slamet said, but "who would have come out to watch the matches? The sand isn't good at all".
About 600 cubic meters of sand have been transported from coastal Tuban, about 150 kilometers to the northwest of the city, to build two courts at the parking area.
Although there are few spectators in the morning, more come out by the afternoon despite the blistering sun.
The players are pleased with the setting.
"It's very good. The atmosphere looks grand with the tournament being played the city. I think it's better to play in the city because more people would come to the tournament, unless the beach was near to the city," said Malaysian Lim Poh Hong, who plays with Iswari.
Ni Putu Timy, this country's best prospect with partner Devota Rahawarin for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, finds a unique challenge in playing in the city.
At the beach, her bikini would be considered appropriate attire and she would not have to be fearful about what others think. In the city, it could be a different matter.
She recalled that at the Yogyakarta stop, religious conservatives protested against the women's players outfits.
In Michael Peters' native New Zealand, the game is only played on the beach.
"But I like it here. You see the grandstand with a big crowd. A mall is nearby. The competition is tough, with strong teams," said Peters, who plays with Brendon Heath. -- JP/Musthofid