Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam in the men’s event and Thailand, Singapore in the women’s competition claimed their first wins
The 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Beach Volleyball Tournament between May 11 and 16, 2023, which serves as the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Phase 1 Southeastern Zone, burst into action-packed encounters at Preah Sihanouk in Cambodia on Thursday.
The AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup is a beach volleyball double-gender event for teams representing Asian countries. As the eventual winners in both men’s and women’s events in the 32nd edition will secure their berths in the Final Round, with the former due to be hosted by Australia and the latter to be organized by China, the second place (silver medallists) in both events in Cambodia will make the cut for Semi-finals. The host nations for the men’s and women’s Semi-finals have yet been announced.
In the 32nd SEA Games, a total of 7 countries will test their mettle in the women’s event. Hosts Cambodia, third seeds Indonesia and fourth seeds Singapore are in Pool A, while Pool B comprises top seeds Thailand, second seeds Philippines, fifth seeds Vietnam and sixth seeds Malaysia.
Nine countries will compete in the men’s event, with Pool A featuring hosts Cambodia, third seeds Philippines, fourth seeds Vietnam, seventh seeds Laos and eighth seeds Timor-Leste. Pool B consists of top seeds Thailand, second seeds Indonesia, fifth seeds Malaysia and sixth seeds Singapore.
Participating teams in both events will play pool round-robin preliminaries, with only top two teams from each pool qualifying for the semifinals.
To play the other opponents, each country team will be represented by Team 1 and Team 2 and to advance, the country team must win both matches. However, if the battle between two countries ends 1-1 (Team 1 wins but Team 2 loses or vice versa), the Golden Match will be held to determine the eventual winners.
However, there will be minimum 45-minute break before the Golden Match, while coaches will need to select and inform the Technical Delegate Mr Kritsada Panaseri which players they would like to play in the Golden Match immediately after the last match.
If the match ends 2-0, the winning team will get 3 points, with the losing team awarded no point. However, if the match ends 2-1, the winning team will get only 2 points, with the losing team receiving 1 point. Points will be accumulated during the pool play and will be taken into consideration and decision for qualifying top two teams from each pool to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the opening day of the 32nd SEA Games Beach Volleyball Tournament in Cambodia, strong teams powered past lower-ranked rivals for their first-day wins.
In the women’s event, Thailand demolished Malaysia 2-0 and Singapore put it past hosts Cambodia 2-0.
Thailand’s Taravadee Naraphornrapat/Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee, who captured the 2021 Asian crown on home soil in Phuket, proved too strong for Sing Sing Yee/Beh Maegan Jia Yin to brush off the Malaysian duo 2-0 (21-12, 21-8), while another Thai pairing, veteran Tanarattha Udomchavee/Varapatsorn Radarong, who bagged gold medals at the 2022 Songkhla Future on Samila Beach in Thailand in April and at the 2013 Indonesia Palembang Open, routed Nur Auni Maisarah Shamsulrizal/Pilihan Zuliza 2-0 (21-13, 21-13).
Singapore also had little problems in outplaying hosts Cambodia 2-0. Soh Cecilia Hui Chin/Tan Kai Yun Alicia trounced Brittany Soun/Nancy Pin 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) and Chong Eliza/Phua Zhao Rong defeated Marineth Huffaker/Touch Sabrina Jinda 2-0 (21-17, 22-20).
On Friday, Singapore will go up against Indonesia and Philippines challenge Vietnam.
In the men’s event, experienced teams also made strong starts with convincing wins against their respective rivals. Thailand beat Singapore 2-0, Indonesia overpowered Malaysia 2-0, Philippines crushed Timor-Leste 2-0, Vietnam defeated Laos 2-0 and continued their good run to beat Timor-Leste 2-0.
Thailand’s Poravid Taovato/Pithak Tipjan, who captured the gold medal at the FIVB Beach Pro Tour Subic Bay Futures in Philippines last December and silver medal at the last month’s AVC Beach Tour 22nd Samila Open on home soil in Songkhla, spent 34 minutes in beating Singaporeans Goh Teng Kuan Melvin/Tran Trevis 21-11, 21-16, while teammates Surin Jongklang/Dunwinit Kaewsai outplayed Tay Kingsley/Shen Fan Yang Mark 21-11, 21-13.
Indonesia also made their mark, with Pribadi Danangsyah/Ramadhan Gilang, bronze medallists at the last month’s AVC Beach Tour 22nd Samila Open and the 2018 Asian Games bronze medallists on home soil, cruising past Malaysians Kai Xu Looi/Wei Chun Ler 21-15, 21-12, while Ashfiya Mohammad/Bintang Akbar showed no mercy to Muhammad Ilham Adili Alias/Jeng Yin Low to beat the Malaysians 21-4, 21-8 in 28 minutes.
On Friday, Philippines will take on hosts Cambodia, Laos play Timor-Leste, Singapore go up against Malaysia and Cambodia also challenge Vietnam.
Indonesia and Thailand made clean sweeps of 7 gold medals since beach volleyball was included in the SEA Games for the first time in 2003 and continued as the medal sporting event in the SEA Games in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, but in 2013 (Nay Pyi Taw), 2015 (Singapore) and 2017 (Kuala Lumpur), host countries did not include the sport as the medal events. In 2019, 2021 and 2023, beach volleyball became the team sport (country), with each country fielding Team A and Team B.
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