Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/691413
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 JUNE 2016 Sport 54 VOLLEYBALL BOXING MVA announces National Beachvolley Cup The Malta Volleyball Association has announced its plans to organise the first ever National Beachvolley Cup between the 19th June and 24th July THE fixtures for this competition, which will be held at the beach- games courts in Birzebbugia, will include matches in the male, fe- male as well as the U23 girls' cat- egories. Commenting on this initiative, David Bonnici, MVA executive council member responsible for organising this event, said that match days which will be on Sun- days, with trophies being awarded to winners and runners-up. The competition will follow FIVB (In- ternational Volleyball Federation) rules for the sport. Participation is open to any interested persons. Malta Volleyball Association President Jesmond Saliba high- lighted the significance of this development. "As we draw to- wards the close of the first year of this MVA administration, it is with great satisfaction that we an- nounce the implementation of yet another initiative outlined in our original strategic plan for the sport of volleyball", said Saliba. "Having a National Beachvolley Cup is signif- icant on many counts, not least be- cause this is the first step towards giving a participative and devel- opmental structure to an Olympic sport which holds a lot of promise for Malta internationally". He also said that Malta has the potential to become a regional hub for this popular and glamourous sport. "As a popular Mediterrane- an island destination, with its very accessible beaches and sophisticat- ed tourism infrastructure, Malta could easily make a name for itself as a mecca for professional and am- ateur practitioners of this Olympic sport", he explained. "Beachvolley is in itself a very environmentally friendly sport with practically no impact in terms of beach usage, while being a veritable crowd pull- er in tourist terms", he said, adding that "current limitations imposed on the use of beaches for beachvol- ley practically limit the practice of this sport to one beach in Malta, that of Birzebbugia". More information about the MVA's National Beachvolley Cup, including the dates of the tourna- ments and information on how to register, can be accessed on the Association's website www.malta- volleyball.org, and on its Facebook page. I'll KO Haye for Ali - Briggs Shannon Briggs has promised to knockout David Haye in the first round in memory of Muhammad Ali "DAVID Haye will fall in one round," Briggs told Sky Sports News HQ. "In memory of Mu- hammad Ali I will be knocking out David Haye in one round." Briggs put himself in line for a September showdown with the former WBA heavy- weight champion af- ter he fought on the undercard of the Lon- doner's latest come- back fight at The O2. Haye toppled Arnold Gjergjaj in two rounds last month to win his second fight since returning to the ring following a three-and- a-half year break, while Briggs stopped Emilio Ezequiel Zarate to claim his 36th first-round knock- out. Former WBO champion Briggs, who was in Louisville for Ali's funeral on Friday, is now look- ing forward to facing Haye on his home turf later this year. "I'm very confident that I will be winning the fight," added Briggs. "Not only winning the fight in England but I will be residing in England for some time. I will be staying at Canary Wharf for some time and moving out to Kent soon. "I'm looking forward to the fight. I think the people of Great Britain have embraced me in a great way and I feel honoured and looking forward to winning the title in England for them. "I think that David is a good boxer but at the same time he's taken some time off, he's a young guy and you have to question why? I think that David knows he's shot and I'm going to prove it to the world that it's over for him. "I love London, it's a great place to be," added the 44-year-old Briggs. "Phenomenal boxing fans, I've never seen anything like it, every- where I go people screaming 'let's go champ' it's just amazing; kids, elderly people, when it comes to boxing you can't beat Great Brit- ain." Shannon Briggs is confident of defeating David Haye