Morocco wins African Beach Volleyball Championship

Morocco won the double on Monday at the African Nations beach volleyball championship in Agadir.

In the men's final, the pair Abicha/Elgraoui from Morocco beat the duo Ainadino Martinho/Monjane from Mozambique by 2 sets to 0 (21-19/ 21-15).

"We are champions of Africa. It is really an emotion that can not be felt," said the Moroccan player, Zouheir El Graoui.

The women's final opposed two Moroccan pairs. Mahassine / Yakki beat Zeroual / Darhar by 2 sets to 0 ( 21-14 / 21-19).

"We had a hard time with a good team of Mozambique, good team of Mauritius too. It's cool to see so many teams for each country," said Imane Yakki, player of Morocco.

Players from about forty countries participated in this African Nations Beach Volleyball Championship. The excitement around the competition and the level of players show that this sport is increasingly practiced in Africa.

"The beach volleyball is developing more and more because, we see as Mozambique for example who has a Brazilian coach, "said the Algerian player Hicham Benbouali.

Alexandri Pantao, is the Brazilian coach recruited by Mozambique to lead the men's and women's national teams of beach volleyball.

According to him, the level of Africa is rising. "I think we have good and strong players.

Beach volleyball is played 2 against 2, the goal being to make the ball fall into the opponent's playing area and prevent it from falling at home.

It is played all over Africa, even in hinterland countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan, which do not have a beach. But national federations lament the lack of support from governments

"Many countries are only interested in soccer. They don't look at other sports like beach volleyball and basketball. They must see these sports too," says Binta Bah, a player from Sierra Leone.

Within the African confederation of volleyball, we are aware of the growth of the discipline.

And Bouchra Hajij, president of the African Confederation of Volleyball (CAVB) believes that "Africa can progress hand in hand, we will go very far.

She now intends to deploy a specific program of development of beach volleyball in schools on the continent.