Richards, Daley the top Beach Volleyball qualifiers
Dellan Brown and Donovan Larry Richards, and veteran Cherine Richards and Cheryl Daley, topped the male and female qualifiers on Sunday for the Just Bet/TVJ Sports Network Beach Volleyball League at the Barbican Beach facility.
Brown and Richards bested the 12 male teams participating, eclipsing Christopher Walters and Peter Wright, 21-15, in the final.
The highly-fancied pair of Ryck Webb and Gatasheu Bonner surprisingly finished third. Bonner, who was injured early in the qualifier, soldiered on for the consolation prize finish.
Other teams advancing to the October 6 League included Delford Morgan and Shane Dwyer, Kenneth Waugh and Adrian James, and Daymian Bigby and Stephen Yeesing.
Meanwhile, Richards and Daley, not surprisingly, outshone the other seven female teams and repelled Nardrake Hutchinson and Tsahai Williams, 21-15, in the decider.
Lecia Brown and Cherie Thompson finished third with other qualifiers to include Shedeiky Hamilton-Barnes and Kai Wright, Latoya Headley and Khesia Livingston, Kamille Dwyer-Thomas and Renae Temple, and Fiona Binns and Zalika Paul.
Associate sponsors for next month’s Beach Volleyball League comprise Juici Patties, Jamaica Blue (a subsidiary of Caribbean Dreams), Red Bull, Hi-Lyte Sport Drink and Velle Sports International. The Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) wants to make the league a major attraction on the annual sporting calendar.
Major Warrenton Dixon, president of JaVA, said the emphasis would be providing value for money to the sponsors.
“Anyone can erect a court on sand and play beach volleyball, but what we are seeking to do is to provide the Jamaican public, young and old, male and female, with an attractive sports entertainment product, using beach volleyball as the context for its delivery.
“This cannot be achieved without quality partnerships with our sponsors. The sponsors of this event have given us a ‘shot in the arm’ for the league and we will pull out all stops to return value to them.
“Beach volleyball is the third most watched Olympic sport and we believe that by managing this platform well locally we can provide great value for any sponsor that partners with us,” he finally concluded.
