Once again Messina is preparing to host an event of international caliber Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour – Futures 2024.
A city eager to make its brand known to the whole world, made up of culture, architectural beauty and, why not, now renowned and appreciated food and wine specialities.
From 20 to 23 June Piazza Duomo will be covered in sand to host the beach volleyball courts. After last year’s edition, some criticism but many appreciations thanks to the seriousness and professionalism put in place by the organizers, recognized above all by the foreign athletes who, after having had the opportunity to live a few days on the banks of the Strait, decided to extend the their holiday in Messina.
A recognition that the mayor Federico Basile receives but which represents an incentive to do more and more and better. The Messina stage of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour – Futures 2024, the only one in Sicily, among the three organized in Italy together with Cervia and Battipaglia, was presented this morning by the Mayor Federico Basile together with the councilors Massimo Finocchiaro and Massimiliano Minutoli.
The event was organized by CEV (Confédération Européenne de Volleyball) and Volleyball World. Local promoter Team Volley Messina, which will operate together with the Municipality of Messina as co-organizer, Mediterranea Eventi, Triptop, the Sicily Regional Committee of FIPAV and the Fipav Provincial Committee of Messina.
There will be 56 couples who will compete under the majesty of the Bell Tower cathedral that it contains within it the largest and most complex mechanical and astronomical clock in the world, and the Orion fountain created by Montorsoli. The baechers coming from 22 nations and five continents (Japan, Australia, United States, Argentina, Canada), make up 28 male and 28 female pairs, divided into 12 couples entered in the main draw and 16 included in the qualifying draw. They gave their support the two baechers, Bianchin – Scampoli who last year won the Messina stage and the Ranghieri-Carambula couple, first in the national and international ranking.
Beyond to the Mayor and the two members of the Council, the president of the Sicily Regional Committee of FIPAV Antonio Locandro, the president of the Fipav Provincial Committee of Messina Alessandro Zurro, the general director of Team Volley Messina Carmelo Siracusa, the technical director of the Messina event Roberto Bombara, the president of Mediterranea Eventi Alfredo Finanze, the provincial commander of the Messina Fire Brigade Felice Iracà.
Mayor Basile was particularly satisfied “wanted to underline how Messina is once again the protagonist of major sporting events thanks to which the city achieves evident economic, cultural and social growth: Messina is increasingly welcoming and inclusive”. This year’s event, Basile continued, “It has the particularity of being a qualifying stage for the next Paris Olympics, testimony that Messina is ready to host events of this magnitude”.
Councilor Massimo Finocchiaro focused above all on the fact that “Messina will host around 1200 people who will follow the teams, so the socio-economic impact for the area will be notable”. A special thank you to Finocchiaro “he reserved it for the municipality expert Francesco Giorgio and for all the other collaborators involved in the organization of this event”. Similar thanks must be shared between the entire council and the municipality’s subsidiaries, protagonists, once again, in supporting the activities carried out by the administration.
Also the councilor Massimiliano Minutoli “he expressed his satisfaction as Messina is demonstrating day after day that it has what it takes to organize an international level event by promoting sport together with the values of aggregation and friendship”. The support of the provincial fire brigade command is fundamental; Commander Felice Iracà “guaranteed organizational support for the entire village and logistics”.
Another new feature will concern night races. Piazza Duomo will be illuminated to allow the competitions to be held in the evening in order to offer the people of Messina the opportunity to participate and, above all, to show the whole world the charm of a sparkling Piazza Duomo in all its beauty.
The competition program includes qualifications on Thursday 20 June from 9.00 to 21.00; Friday 21 June other qualifiers from 10am to 9.30pm; on Saturday 22nd June the semi-finals from 9.30am to 8.30pm while on Sunday 23rd the finals will be held from 10am to 5pm.
