JABAR EKSPRES – A total of 130 athletes from six countries are competing for the championship trophy in the Asian roundnet championship, the Bali International Roundnet Festival held by the Asian Roundnet Federation from September 21-24, 2023 in Bali.
Chairman of the Indonesian Roundnet Sports Association (PORSI) Genta Fajar Heriawan in Denpasar, Thursday, said the six countries were Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Australia.
There are three classes competed, namely men squad, women squad, and mixed squad, where the Indonesian Roundnet national team as the host sent five men’s teams and three mixed teams.
The championship which competes for the Asian level trophy is the first match held by the federation, Genta said he was proud that Indonesia was chosen as the host, because this event is also to spark interest in the growth of athletes in this new sport.
“Because roundnet is new and Bali is the world’s recreation center, so when we proposed the host we brought the name Bali because they must be happy to hear Bali, so tourism first playing roundnet is a bonus,” said Genta.
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For Indonesians, the roundnet sport sounds unfamiliar, because it only entered the country in 2020.
Genta said that the sport that utilizes the round net and ball media is a gradation of beach volleyball, in one match followed by four people, two people each team.
“There is no special field, they can rotate 360 degrees, one team has a maximum of three touches, then if beach volleyball the ball is above the net, if the roundnet is bounced onto a round trampoline,” he explained.
For judging, for one day at the Niti Mandala Renon Field, Denpasar, all participants took part in the preliminary round, then the next day the semifinal and final stages will be held.
