Putting their best foot volley forward
MANILA, Philippines - Landco’s Playa Laiya in San Juan, Batangas recently hosted the first-ever beach foot volley meet in the Philippines. A crossbreed between beach volleyball and soccer, the sport is gaining popularity in Brazil since it only requires a sandy beach and football lovers. A very fast-paced game, beach foot volley could indeed be popular here in the Philippines if only more people would be interested to learn soccer first. The rules are basically patterned after a game of beach volleyball, but the golden rule dictates a “no hands/no elbows” policy. Players can use all parts of the body except their hands and elbows, and soccer skills are highly required, with the two players each on opposing teams outscoring each other until the players slug it out under the sun and the winners are proclaimed.
“We are happy to host this event here at Playa Laiya, since it is our mission to promote an active lifestyle given that some of our properties are by the beach, and Playa Laiya is the perfect venue as it has the best sand quality in Batangas and the longest white beach in San Juan,” says Landco’s Aleks Sotero. “We are hoping that this becomes an annual event, with more players participating in the coming years, and an added attraction for our property owners and members.
The first beach foot volley had players from Colegio De San Juan de Letran and other smaller football clubs. Coach Ahmed “Mike” Athab, an Iraqi who relocated to the Philippines 28 years ago, believes that Filipinos have the speed and the talent for the sport invented by the Europeans. “Filipinos are very flexible and skillful players. Sadly, basketball is very popular here, and everywhere you go, kids are into basketball, everybody is idolizing NBA superstars, no one wants to be like Pele, Ronaldo or at least David Beckham. And when you try to introduce soccer, they eventually switch back to a game of basket and give up totally on playing soccer. I have seen it happen, especially in Mindanao. Fortunately, Visayans, specifically Ilonggos, are into the sports so much,” says Coach Mike who is conducting soccer clinics all over the archipelago. “Sadly, there are no corporate sponsors to push through with grassroots propagation of soccer, and it has a snobbish image in Manila — that it is a game for the upper crust of society like the Spanish mestizos.”
For more details about foot volley, Coach Mike Athab can be reached through his mobile 09177944584 or visit www.bfap.net.
Landco Pacific Corporation is the developer of high-end leisure, urban, and hometown communities. As the purveyor of resort living experiences, Landco is committed to consistently create innovative and outstanding lifestyle products that revolutionize the way we live.
For more information, call 836-5000, e-mail customerrelations@landco.ph or visit www.landco.ph.
