Veterans take on young talents in Dutch wild card contest

The Hague, Netherlands, March 2, 2015 - On March 6, eight Dutch men’s teams will compete for one wild card for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015. The list of contenders includes a mix of highly experienced players and young talents.

The winners of the wild card tournament in The Hague will qualify for the most important beach volleyball tournament of the year. Just three victories separate the teams from participation in the World Championships in The Hague, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Rotterdam.

For some of the teams taking part in the World Championships, the competition represents a unique occasion to compete with the world's beat. For others it is an opportunity to gain experience at the highest level ahead of the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Contenders
Of the eight teams participating in the wild card tournament, Daan Spijkers and Tim Oude Elferink are the most experienced challengers. Spijkers took part in the World Championships in 2011 and 2013, while Oude Elferink played in the 2013 event in Poland.

Other serious contenders for the wild card include top seeds Wessel Keemink and Sven Vismans. In January, Keemink and Vismans finished second in the Dutch National Indoor Championships, behind Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst.

On Friday, Keemink and Vismans will meet Jasper Bouter and Tom van Steenis in the first round. This young team was fourth at last year's U19 World Championships in Portugal, finishing just short of a medal.

Dirk Boehlé is another player looking to compete in the World Championships in his home country. The citizen of The Hague returned early from a training camp in Brazil to be able to take part in the wild card event. He is teaming up with Jannes van der Ham.

March 6 match schedule:
9.00 - Tim Oude Elferink/Daan Spijkers (3) - Eric-Jan Rothfusz/Jeroen van Zwieten (6)
10.00 - Dirk Boehlé/Jannes van der Ham (2)- Kjeld Broekema/Erik van der Schaaf (7)
10.50 - Wouter van Gilst/Bas Verpoorten (4)- Jaapjan Feenstra/Gijs van Pruissen (5)
11.50 - Wessel Keemink/Sven Vismans (1) - Jasper Bouter/Tom van Steenis (8)
13.00 and 14.00 - Semifinals
16.00 - Final

Nine Dutch teams at World Championships
Five men's teams and four women's teams will represent the Netherlands at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. As the host nation, The Netherlands is entitled to four berths in the men’s and women’s tournaments. As a result of the victory of Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst in the CEV Baku Masters, the Dutch federation can enter a fifth men’s team into the competition.

Three Dutch men’s teams have already obtained their places at the World Championships. Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen and  Steven van de Velde/Michiel van Dorsten have qualified through their results on the FIVB World Tour. The fourth team will be known Friday, after the wild card event. The fifth place will be awarded to a team in the Dutch national competition.