Manly’s VolleyFest 2020 saved but FIVB World Tour lost in last minute deal
Some of Australia’s top athletes are celebrating after an international volleyball event was saved at the last minute - but there’s still concern over how athletes will gain crucial qualifying points for the Olympics.
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Australia’s premier volleyball event will remain at Manly Beach next year following an eleventh-hour intervention by Manly MP James Griffin.
The state government and Northern Beaches Council announced on Thursday afternoon that they would go someway to plug the $450,000 funding gap left after Destination NSW pulled all its support for the event in a shock move last week.
The five-day VolleyFest competition starting on February 23 was to include the FIVB World Tour event, billed as an important qualifier for Tokyo 2020.
Athletes have spoken out about how they may not get enough qualifying points for the Olympics if it did not go ahead.
That aspect of the event will still not go ahead as not enough funding was found.
Instead there will be a national championship competition which will still attract international athletes and give Olympic hopefuls the pre-training preparation they need before Toyko 2020.
Volleyball Australia President Craig Carracher said NSW Government had come up with $250,000 and Northern Beaches Council an extra $25,000 on what it had originally promised.
“It wasn’t enough to pay for the Wolrd Tour, but what was most important to us what that VolleyFest will still provide preparation for our Olympic hopefuls,” he said.
“It will feel like a world event, but it’s not a perfect outcome.
“But what I would say is people have gone above and beyond to help save VolleyFest which was our priority.”
Mr Carracher said he was still working on a way to host the FIVB World Tour somewhere else in Australia.
The 10-day VolleyFest 2020 event will feature the Australian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships, Australian Olympic Team Selection camp, NSW School Beach Volleyball Cup and NSW Junior Beach Volleyball Championships.
Mr Griffin said earlier this week he was fighting to keep the event on the peninsula.
He was able to deliver the good news on Thursday evening.
“Volleyball Australia President Craig Carracher has worked extremely hard with the NSW Government and the Northern Beaches Council to deliver this unique sporting event,” he said in a statement to the Manly Daily.
This week Northern Beaches Council said it was willing to commit a further $25,000 cash to the event on top of $25,000 already promised and more than $200,000 in waived fees for land rent and clean up costs.
Last year when Manly hosted the FIVB World Tour it attracted 10 Olympians.
Mr Griffin said the event was safe for next year but Northern Beaches Council was set to work with Voleyball Australia to secure it until 2022.
“New South Wales is the number one choice for events of all kinds and Manly Beach is of course an iconic location,” Mr Griffin said.
Last week Mr Griffin also announced that the World Surf League would be hosting a new top surf event series in Manly in March which will follow VolleyFest.
The surf competition will see the world’s best surfers compete in Manly.