Date:17/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/17/stories/2008071760692600.htm

Sport

Chennai Challenger from today

Chennai: India’s first ever international beach volleyball event is all set to begin at Elliot’s beach in Besant Nagar on Thursday.

Twenty-four men’s teams and sixteen women’s teams from Sri Lanka, UAE, India, USA, Brazil, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Libya, Spain, Japan, Finland, Canada, Italy, Austria, France, Malaysia and Great Britain will participate in the four-day BSNL-FIVB Chennai Challenger Championship, organised by the Marina Beach Volleyball Club.

The total prize money for the event is $40,000, for both the men and the women, and the pairs ranked first stand to gain 40 World ranking points.

The top-seeded men’s pair is Japan’s Morikowa Taichi and Nishimura Koichi, and the duo of Thailand’s Kamoltip Kulna and Yupa Phokrongploy is the top-seeded women’s pair.

Sixteen pairs will contest the main draw in both the men’s and women’s sections. An elimination round will be played in the men’s section to narrow the field to 16 teams.

Six Indian men’s pairs, and three women’s pairs, are scheduled to play in Thursday’s first round matches. Eight seeded men’s pairs will begin their campaigns on Friday, having gained direct entry to the main draw. — Sports Reporter