Nestea beach volley to sizzle with 24 teams

MANILA, Philippines - The 2014 Nestea Beach Volley set May 1 to 3 in Boracay promises to be the biggest gathering of the country’s finest beach volleyball pairs.

No wonder organizers have dubbed this year’s event as the “Battle of Champions.”

A total of 24 school-based teams, 10 from Luzon, nine from the Visayas and five from Mindanao, will vie for the men’s and women’s title.

The champion teams will also get P100,000 each and all the bragging rights. Runner-up teams will take home P65,000 and third-placers P35,000.

This year’s event was launched yesterday amid a beach-like atmosphere at the Best Western Hotel in Makati.

And it’s just a glimpse of what’s going to happen in the island paradise of Boracay. On top of the sizzling competition, it will be four days of fun and parties. 

“This year Nestea Beach is going beyond sports but also into lifestyle. We at Nestea are stepping it up,” said Nestea brand manager JP Legisma.

The hottest parties this summer will also happen on the same week, and Nestea has decided to bring in world-renowned DJs Cedric Gervais and Steve Aoiki.

Also gracing the press launch was Milo Sports executive Robbie de Vera.

Otie Camangian, secretary-general of the Philippine Volleyball Federation and Nestea Beach technical director, expect the hottest competition in years.

“That’s why we’re calling it the ‘Battle of the Champions,’” he said.

Camangian added that last year’s winners, University of the Visayas in the men’s division and Central Philippine University in the women’s side, will be back to defend the titles.

The former member of the Philippine team said he’s also on the lookout for players who may become part of the national team for the Asian Beach Games in November and the SEA Games in 2015.

“The Nestea event has always been a source of our national players,” he said.