“Dramatic”: Beach volleyball tour and DM in Timmendorfer Strand on the brink
Just over a month to go before the national beach volleyball summer begins. At the end of March, the German Volleyball Association (DVV) announced the restart of the German Beach Tour, the largest national series in Europe. With six instead of eight tournaments at three locations (Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Münster) and the German Championships in Timmendorfer Strand (September 1st to 4th) as well as “more digital, more flexible and more sustainable” it should be from May 19th after two difficult, from of the pandemic-plagued years. But dark clouds have gathered in the beach volleyball sky. The tour is on the brink, and the worry lines are also getting bigger in Timmendorf.
Marketing company without a leader
The background: With the DVS, the marketing company of the association, the sports business agency Sportfive and Spontent, the sports channel from Ex-professional and 2021 champion Alexander Walkenhorst on the twitch streaming platform should the liberation succeed. But we are far from that. Top sponsors, prize money – all non-existent so far. The marketing company DVS – without a leader. Acting managing director Volker Braun did not extend his contract, which expired on March 31. Even more: according to reports, DVS is plagued by immense old claims from sponsors and service providers, some of whom have long-term contracts. The double tournament planned for the end of June in Hamburg on the Heiligengeistfeld with grandstands for up to 1800 seats – between the already announced “King of the Court” tournament from July 23rd to 26th – should only take place on a small scale, if at all Olympic base in Dulsberg. During the pandemic, spectators were not allowed to play at the federal base, also to keep costs down.
Also read: Beach volleyball championship 2021 in pictures
Alarming points: Players’ representatives demand clarification
The tour threatens to go down the beach. The situation is so dramatic that the players’ representatives Jonas Reinhardt and Melanie Gernert wrote a letter to the head of the association asking for clarification. And that about the following points: whether “DVS has accumulated a mountain of debt of over half a million euros” and “is about to be dissolved”, whether Sportfive is withdrawing due to “unsatisfactory cooperation”, whether many cities are jumping out, “because something something else is promised”. For the players’ representatives, the points are “more than alarming”. This also includes the question: “Will there be a German championship this year?” Association President Rene Hecht, who is said to have taken over the DVS tasks from Braun, wanted to comment on the points to the LN. But a recall he announced did not take place.
Beach Volleyball DM
The German Beach Volleyball Championships celebrated their premiere in 1993 in the Baltic Sea resort of Damp. Timmendorfer Strand has been the venue since 1993. Before Corona, when the national tour and the DM were still organized by the Hamburg ex-beach volleyball player and event professional Frank Mackerodt, up to 70,000 spectators made the pilgrimage to the Baltic Sea. In the previous year after the restart, a total of 13,250 spectators attended the 56 games. Eight were held under floodlights – a first. For the first time there were only purchase tickets. For 2022 it was planned to offer some of the tickets freely again.
Concerns in Timmendorfer Strand
Also in Timmendorfer Strand, which wants to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, people are waiting for answers. “Yes, we too have heard about all this,” said Joachim Nitz, Head of Tourism, “and of course we’re very worried, we’d like to help where we can.” has a contract for the DM alignment with the marketing company DVS up to and including 2023. Only: If DVS slips into insolvency, according to the press release, the “most beautiful beach volleyball love story” would no longer be valid. The mobile arena with around 5000 seats, for which Nitz & Co. are responsible for the construction, should “definitely” grow out of Timmendorfer Strand and be used. Because after the DM, the concert series “Stars on the Beach” with Ben Zucker, Nico Santos and Alvaro Soler. “And advance sales are going very well,” says Nitz, who is still hoping for the championship in the German beach volleyball Mecca. Nitz: “A cancellation would be a real blow to the neck for the sport – and that for the next few years.”
By Jens Pumpkin
Reference-www.ln-online.de