Shifting sands have long been an occupational hazard in the world of Beach Tennis. All that is now set to change, however, with next year’s inaugural ANOC [Association of National Olympic Committees] World Beach Games promising to be a game-changer – offering sure foundations and a magnificent platform to showcase this dynamic and rapidly expanding sport.
October 2019 will see the blue waters of the Pacific set the perfect backdrop upon the white sands of beautiful Mission Beach, as San Diego opens its arms to the world. Fans will be served up a smorgasbord of beach-based action with a total of 15 sports and 17 disciplines featuring.
Tennis will adopt centre stage as one of six core beach sports, alongside handball, karate, soccer, volleyball and wrestling, that organisers have earmarked to make considerable waves on the Californian coastline.
The Games will also utilise some fantastic existing venues. Petco Park, situated in downtown San Diego and home of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball, will host the Opening Ceremony, while Belmont Park, the historic oceanfront amusement park located on Mission Beach, will hold a dual function as the players’ village by day and a party and concert venue by night.
The ANOC World Beach Games will be the biggest Beach Tennis event of the year and feature some of the world’s top stars. In total, 64 players (32 men, 32 women) will compete across men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.
Taking place over four days of competition between 10 and 13 October, the Beach Tennis event will be played out on four match courts, including a proposed 1,000 seat capacity centre court.
"At the ITF we’re super excited that we’re going to see Beach Tennis at the first ANOC World Beach Games, taking place at beautiful Mission Beach in San Diego," said International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty."Come and join the party and watch the world’s best Beach Tennis players battle it out to become the first ever World Beach Games champions."
Across the board, it is anticipated that the 15 sports represented at the ANOC World Beach Games will bring together approximately 1,300 athletes from around 80 countries for the six-day sporting extravaganza.
"The sports program demonstrates what the ANOC Beach Games are all about," said ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg. "At San Diego 2019, we’ll see elite athletes from 15 exciting sports that individually attract huge global audiences.
"Every discipline is dynamic, accessible and fantastic entertainment. By bringing them together for the first time under the ANOC World Beach Games banner, we will connect the NOCs [National Olympic Committees] of the world with a new generation of young sports fans."
History
The International Tennis Federation assumed responsibility for the development of the Beach Tennis Tour around the globe in 2008. By the end of 2016, the total number of tournaments held exceeded 300 for the first time, while last year the $500,000 barrier in total prize money on offer was broken.
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