REVIEW: Eight ebt 2017 competitions were played in Poland, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Greece and Spain over the weekend.
Top-ranked Piotrkow Trybunalski continue strong form
The European Beach Tour 2017 continued with eight competitions held across six countries over the weekend.
Polish Beach Handball in Gdansk saw numerous teams that have already shown their dominance on the sand in the newly-instated PGNiG Summer Superliga. Fundacja Akademia Sportu claimed the men’s title at that event ahead of BHT Auto Forum Petra Plock, who currently rank second on the overall ebt 2017 ranking. BHT Auto Forum Petra Plock II placed third in the men’s competition.
The women’s trophy went to BHT GRU JUKO Piotrkow Trybunalski, who lead the women’s ebt 2017 ranking after verification of points for 33 of the 68 competitions scheduled this season. BHT Byczki Olimpijczyk Kowalewo Pomorskie finished second and AP- Poznan ranked third.
After Gaeta hosted the ebt 2017 Finals, the city welcomed the first regular season ebt 2017 competition to be held in Italy. The Calise Cup featured teams from the host nation, Croatia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Albania, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
In the men’s competition, Beach Stars BHC from Hungary raised the trophy, Croatian Chemo Profiles Zagreb claimed the silver medal and Albena Beach Bulgaria placed third. The women’s tournament was won by TeamEnigmaWebDesign Danish Beach Handball Dream, while Swiss side Beachqueens ranked second ahead of Cannabis Energy Drink Sport Club Senec in third.
At the II Budapest Cup in Hungary, Croatian team BHC Cakovec topped the men’s ranking ahead of local Dinamit BHC, while Salgótarjáni Strandépítők placed third. Salgótarjáni Strandépítők also ranked third in the women’s competition, where Multichem Szentendrei NKE won the trophy and OVB Beach Girls finished second.
The XXI Nazare Cup Beach saw all Portuguese teams on the sand, with Qualcroqui Team BH winning the men’s trophy and BE ONE/TECLUR – BHC raising the women’s. Raccoons D’Areia/ActiveBank placed second and Qualcroqui Team BH ranked third in the women’s competition, while CINCO MAIS UM and V. Gaw finished second and third, respectively, in the men’s event.
And’Praia 2017 – Canidelo in Portugal saw Escola Formação Espinho - Os Tigres top both the men’s and women’s rankings. Os Repetidos ranked second and Os Gordos/LabMinho-Clube Naval Leça finished third in the men’s competition, while Chelsea Beach Handball placed second in the women’s tournament and Os Gordos/LabMinho-Clube Naval Leça were third.
Other competitions held over the weekend include Alexandroupolis Beach Handball 2017 in Greece, Arena 500 CIUDAD DE LEPE and V Open Alburquerque Arena 500, both in Spain.
TEXT:
Courtney Gahan