The Italy-Poland will be the first game of the National Beach Soccer Stadium, officially opened yesterday!
The national beach soccer stadium to be used at next year’s European Games Minsk 2019 was officially opened this past Wednesday, 1st of August, in the Belarusian capital.
The Euro Beach Soccer League Minsk 2018 kicking of tomorrow will become the first official competition to be held at the National Beach Soccer Stadium.
Belarus, Italy, Poland, and Turkey tested the sand today in the official training session ahead of the beginning of the competition tomorrow.
It will be the first time the EBSL takes place in Minsk. Belarus Beach Soccer Federation Chairman Sychev urged fans to come out and support the home team, as a good showing in the Euro Beach Soccer League will be important in preparations for the European Games, scheduled for 21-30 June 2019.
Sychev said: “I think that the number of competitions and finances that we have planned for next year will allow the team to prepare well for the European Games. The goal is to finish among the winning teams of the event.”
Head coach of the Belarus national beach soccer team, Spanish specialist Nicolas Alvarado, said he wants his players to achieve the maximum results during the Euro Beach Soccer League. “The main thing is to win and show all your skills to the audience,” he said.
After having taken part in one EBSL stage so far, the hosts team are currently in 6th place with 6 points. Their closest rivals, Italy and Poland, have 3 points each while Turkey has none. After three EBSL stages, the table is led by Ukraine and Portugal, with 12 points each after six games.
It is worth remembering that the Euro Beach Soccer League 2018 is also the qualifying competition for the 2nd European Games. In addition to the host country Belarus, the 6 best Superfinal teams will take part in the Games, as well as the winner of the Promotion Final (from Division B). If the Belarusian team finishes in the top 6 of the Superfinal the seventh-place team will also earn a berth to the European Games.
A special stadium
Construction of the stadium, the only non-existing venue to be used at Minsk 2019, took only two months. In compliance with international standards, the capacity of the new arena is 1,300 spectators. The venue joins beach soccer arenas in the Belarus cities of Borisov, Vitebsk, Kirovsk, Mozyr, Molodechno, Minsk, Slonim, and Shchuchin. One thing that differentiates the new Minsk stadium is the spectator seats, which are very close to the field of play.
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Alexander Baraulya, sports director of the Minsk European Games Organising Committee (MEGOC) Sergei Shablyko, general secretary of the Belarusian Football Federation Yuri Vergeichik, chairman of the Beach Soccer Federation Alexei Sychev and the Director of the Olympic Sports Complex Andrei Nesterovich.
Deputy Minister Baraulya said: “The upcoming 2nd European Games is a chance for beach soccer to show all that it has to offer. In 2018, a national beach soccer team was officially created in Belarus. The new stadium is one of the forms of state support for the preparation for the multi-sport event next year. The traditions created here will have great importance in the future.”
MEGOC sports director Shablyko believes that the beach soccer tournament at the European Games will be popular among local and international fans, especially since the stadium is located in the Olympic Sports Complex next to the park zone.
Shablyko said: “It’s not a secret that Belarus loves sports, so we hope that the spectator seats at the national beach soccer stadium will be full during the 2nd European Games. I would like to praise the activities of the federation to develop the sport in the country, including in preparation for the European Games. I hope there will be an opportunity for as many children and youth sports schools to open as possible. It is my wish that beach soccer will eventually become an Olympic sport.”
For more information about the stadium and the European Games Minsk 2019, please click here.
