Beach babes: Stars take to the sands

The beaches have taken a sporting twist with the inaugural Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour Dubai Open taking place at Jumeirah Beach Park.

The $350,000 event has attracted some of the sport’s top names from across 40 countries including double Olympic champion American Kerri Walsh.

And the UAE’s Ahmad Al Houli and Rashid Hassan have made it a memorable event by becoming the first Emiratis to beat European opponents.

The pair, playing together for the first time, entered the record books by stunning the Finnish team of Sami Tuomaala and Janne Aijo on Tuesday evening.

A jubilant Hassan said: "We want to represent the UAE against the biggest players in the world and we hope to become like them."

Walsh, fresh from winning her second consecutive Olympic Gold at the Beijing Games, is happy the tour has finally come to Dubai. "I have been watching on television all the high-profile events they have here. I think it fits the lifestyle of Dubai. This is such a cosmopolitan city that I think it’s perfect," said the American who has teamed up with Nicole Branagh in the absence of regular partner Misty May-Treanor.

This is just the start, said Ali Haidery, Managing Director of Sport Solutions, the event organisers. "I know it will be the first of many. Mr Mohammad Abdul Kareem Julfar [President of the UAE Volleyball Association] has taken an active role in working with the FIVB for this tournament as he believes the sport has great potential to grow here. And I can say plans are already under way to organise bigger tournaments in the next four to five years," he said.

Schedule

• Thursday 4pm to 11pm: Main draw
• Friday (8pm onwards): Semi-finals
• Saturday 4pm: Third place matches
• 7pm: Women’s final
• 8pm: Men’s final
• Venue: Jumeirah Beach Park (free entry)