July 25, 2022.
The information was prepared by Ronalds Režais, Council of Latvian Sports Federations.
The BeActive Beach Games were held with positive emotions and scope, which on July 23 and 24 gathered around a thousand participants in Ventspils, while several hundred residents of Ventspils and guests of the city visited and tried more than 30 sports demonstrations and activities.
At the Beach Games organized by the Council of Latvian Sports Federations (LSFP), in the individual sports competitions, running, clubbing, tug-of-war activities, beach volleyball, folk class competitions of street gymnasts, and Zumba master classes were the most represented. On the other hand, the European Family Cups, beach handball and beach soccer, Mamanet (a team sport based on the rules of volleyball) gathered the most participants in team competitions. The international beach volleyball tournament, stair tennis and para-shooting activities were also held as part of the games. This year, the beach games were held simultaneously with the street sports and culture festival Ghetto Games Festivāls 2022, thus Ventspils in general met folk, extreme and professional sports enthusiasts from all over Latvia.
“The biggest winners of the Ventspils sports weekend are every participant and family who applied and participated. Whether it was the Family Cup competition, demonstrations or competitions, the Beach Games showed how diverse active recreation on the seashore can be. With a little imagination, we ourselves can create a great and, most importantly, healthy vacation for ourselves and our families,” emphasizes Einars Fogelis, president of the Council of Latvian Sports Federations, the organizer of the games, also thanking the 20 sports federations and the city of Ventspils, with whom the Beach Games were organized.
Daina Paipala, head of the Ventspils Sports Administration, complements her: “We are really happy to host the BeActive Beach Games in Ventspils for the first time. In the city, we have been working on improving the infrastructure of the urban environment for several years, so that it is as functional as possible and accessible to everyone – families, mothers, people with functional and mobility impairments. This also creates a result – opportunities for active recreation in Ventspils are expanding, residents of Ventspils use them and are physically active all year round.”
Part of the BeActive Beach Games was the European Family Cup 2022, in which 34 families from Latvia and several European countries participated. In the competition with 12 checkpoints, where different tasks had to be performed, the team “AAA and V” or the combined Ernstson and Stekerhof family from Ventspils won. They participated in the Games for the first time. The Bergman family team “Pixeli” took second place, while the Epner family team “With a smile” took third place. The teams respectively received flight vouchers worth 1000, 800 and 600 euros.
“If there is determination, nothing is impossible!” said the representative of the winner’s family, Agnese Ernstson, “We are active every day – both together and separately, we play football, badminton, volleyball, hockey, run. In tasks, everyone could be an addition to the team – with their unique ability or knowledge. Family sports are not about medals or competition, but the time we spend together, we dedicate to each other,” thinks Agnese and advises not to forget about fun and lightness in joint activities.
The prize – a flight voucher worth EUR 600 – was also drawn among all families who participated and had completed tasks at at least 8 checkpoints. It was won by a team called “Moms” in the raffle. Tasks in the Family Cup focused on team cooperation, communication, dexterity and tactics – running, stair golf, strength and memory tasks, beach football, balance board, also a trip with a SUP board in the sea waves.
Apart from the competition, every participant also tried sports that are becoming more and more popular among different generations – disc golf, climbing sports, beach badminton, beach tennis, and others.
The BeActive Beach Games will continue on September 3 and 4 at the natural beach of Portimao in Portugal. This city has become a partner organization of the BeActive project, because it won the title of European City of Sports in 2019 and hosts several hundred sports events almost throughout the year.
This year, the BreActive Beach Games took place in the Ventspils beach area, urban area and other areas, covering almost the entire city. The program has been prepared in cooperation with the association Ghetto Games and more than 20 Latvian sports federations and organizations, including activities for people with movement and functional disabilities – Latvian Discus Sports Union, Latvian Athletics Union, Latvian Basketball Union, Latvian Cycling Federation, Latvian Football Federation, Latvian Heat sports federation, Latvian Mountaineers’ Union, Latvian Street Gymnastics Federation, Latvian Disc Golf Federation, Latvian Floorball Union, Latvian Paralympic Committee, Latvian Tug of War Federation, Latvian Lacrosse Federation, Latvian Skateboard Federation, Latvian Triathlon Federation, Latvian Rowing Federation, Latvian Handball Federation, Latvian Volleyball Federation, Latvian Rugby Federation, Latvian Surfing and SUP Federation, Latvian Badminton Federation, Latvian Tennis Union, Latvian Petanque Sports Federation, Latvian Sealers’ Union, Velotrial Club Map rs, society “Latvijas Pludmale”, Ventspils Marathon club.
More about BeActive Beach games, results and overall ratings at www.pludmalesspeles.lv.
BeActive Beach Games games were created to find new ways to attract people, regardless of age, health, physical fitness or skills, to an active lifestyle on beaches – natural and also artificially created, for example in urban areas. The model of sports games was created within the framework of the Erasmus+ project, with the Latvian Sports Federations Council cooperating with other European and international sports organizations. In the Beach Sports Games this year, representatives of families and sports organizations from almost ten other European countries are also coming to Ventspils in order to expand the beach sports movement in their countries as well.
Additional information:
+371 68622304
