International Footvolley Cup 2024: Brazil and Austria combine to win gold as Ghana settle for silver and bronze

The maiden edition of the International Footvolley Cup 2024 held at the National Sports College, Winneba inside the University of Education in collaboration with African Footvolley For All (AFFA) and the Footvolley Association of Ghana (FAG) ended in a resounding success following a two-day event which started on Thursday, February 22 and ended on Friday, February 23, 2024 in the Central Region.

The tournament featured 16 teams from four countries; Ghana, Benin, Austria and Brazil despite having a delegation from Kenya, the fast-paced and dynamic nature of the game made the competition exciting, with teams battling it out for the prestigious Footvolley trophy.

Eventually, Ghana’s twins Theodore Adadevo and Theophilus Adadevo lost in the finals to Heraldo of Brazil and Bernhard of Austria despite recovering in the second set but lost in the third set in what was 18-9, 15-18 and 15-9 in favour of Team Heraldo and Bernhard.

Mr. Mustapha Mohammed, the President of the Ghana Footvolley Association emphasized the growing nature of the sport in Ghana and other parts of the world. He reiterated the importance of events like this and training clinic in further developing the sport and called for continuous support from corporate bodies and individuals following his interview with Radio Windy Bay, 98.3FM.

Footvolley experts from Brazil and Austria, Heraldo Zaccardi Hoshi de Lima and Bernhard Lueger, expressed their sentiments for the event and pledged full commitment to the development of footvolley ball in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Their expertise and dedication including the contribution of Austrian female official Verena Gasteiner added immense value to the training clinic and tournament, contributing to the overall success of the event.

The likes of Peter Macharia and Mercy Muasa represented the Kenyan delegation while in attendance was Abioye Kamaru Deen, President of Footvolley Benin, Quenum Coffin, Director of Physical Training in Benin alongside Zokpodo Eric, a referee in Benin together with some players in their ranks. Collins Kofi Awuku, General Manager of Radio Windy Bay, Prof Emmanuel Osei Sarpong of University of Education, Winneba and Collins Eduafo, Technical Director of the National Sports College, Winneba equally graced the occasion coupled with B.K. Aboagye, National Sports Authority representative for Central Region.

Overall, the inaugural event was a testament to the passion and dedication of the organizers, participants, and supporters of footvolley ball. Meanwhile, the International Footvolley tournament is set to bounce back in May next year during the Aboakyir Festival in Winneba according to Mustapha Mohammed.