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Spike in volleyball pair’s success
Media Release
25.02.2015
Spike in volleyball pair’s success
The road to the 2016 Rio Olympics
looks as smooth as ever for Tauranga’s beach volleyball
golden boys Sam O’Dea, 23, and Mike Watson, 25, who remain
unbeaten on home soil.
The top seed Kiwi pairing claimed both the New Zealand Beach Volleyball Open and Series titles after a nail-biting final versus rivals Rene Kapa and Thomas Hartels at the ASB Tennis Centre in Stanley Street on Sunday February 22.
All tied up leading into the final set, O’Dea and Watson clinched the match to finish the 2014-2015 New Zealand Beach Volleyball Series undefeated and continue what is an unblemished record on home turf since they first joined forces in October 2013.
“Tom and Rene really pushed us in the final, it is great to have this level of competition in New Zealand as we now start to prepare for the international season,” Watson says.
Until recently O’Dea and Watson have been self-funded, but their financially demanding overseas schedule has prompted them to seek sponsorship from local and national funders.
Bayleys sponsorship and events manager Allison Stewart says Bayleys is committed to helping the boys as they chase the gold medal at Rio.
“Sam and Mike are outstanding role models for young Kiwi athletes and a team we are delighted to be backing”.
“Their dedication and incredible record so far in competition deserves the recognition and support of all Kiwis. We want to make sure the boys can focus solely on achieving their goal of gold at Rio and will do what we can to help them get there.”
It is the first time in five years that the New Zealand Open has taken place at the home of New Zealand tennis in Stanley Street. Seven truckloads, containing 100 cubic metres of sand, was laid onto centre court where global tennis stars Venus Williams and Jiri Vesely were victorious in the respective ASB Classic and Heineken Open tournaments just over a month ago.
“It was awesome having the event back at Stanley Street. It is great exposure for our sport and an exciting venue to play in,” O’Dea says.
The highlight of the New Zealand Beach Volleyball calendar saw 12 teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions compete from Friday February 20, including top international pairings Christoph Gruenaug and Martin Kaufer of Germany and Linline Mansale and Loti Joe of Vanuatu.
The win bodes well for the Kiwi power-pairing of O’Dea and Watson having just qualified to compete at the World Championships in the Netherlands in June.
With the 2016 Rio Olympics in their sights, O’Dea and Watson are aiming for a top two finish in the FIVB World Cup, or victory in the Continental Cup versus Australia, China and Kazakhstan to secure a spot at the games in just over a year’s time.
New Zealand Bayleys is New Zealand's largest full-service real estate company. We offer expertise in the marketing and sale of a wide range of property, including residential real estate, farms and lifestyle blocks, and commercial and industrial property. This includes tourism and business sales such as hotels and motels. We also cover the real estate markets in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.
Bayleys also provides a complete property and facilities service including property management and valuations teams focused on achieving both Owner and Tenant satisfaction.
No other real estate company can match our breadth of coverage across all market sectors throughout New Zealand.Bayleys Real Estate
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