Beach volleyball is yet to become truly popular in the country, but the Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) is striving hard to take it to the masses.
Though the country had its first tryst with the sport at the 2006 Asian Games, it picked up only after the launch of the Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy (QBVA) at the Al Gharafa Sports Club in 2013.
And the qualification for Olympics in three years’ time is a creditable achievement, according to QVA General Secretary Mohammed Ali Al Mohannadi who was speaking to Doha Stadium Plus.
“The country doesn’t have a history as such in the sport. But we took it as a challenge. Beach volleyball is one of fastest growing Olympic sports and we realised it had a lot of potential in our country. We worked hard and the results are starting to show. It’s phenomenal to send a team to Olympics in such a short time,” said Al Mohannadi.
The QVA, which regularly holds training camps, is perhaps the only beach volleyball body in the region that organises a league. It has also been hosting a FIVB World Tour event for four years. While the GCC Beach Games was organised last year, the Arab Games have become more or less an annual affair.
Qatar may not be endowed with exotic beaches like Thailand’s Phuket or Rio’s Copacabana which double as the sport’s venues, but that has not deterred Qatar’s ambitions.
“A great beach isn’t a pre-requisite for hosting a beach volleyball event. The FIVB World Tour stops at places like Moscow which don’t have a beach. The main criteria is that the venues must be close to the city and easily accessible. Our facilities at Gharafa perfectly fit the bill,” he added.