Sports day in Volos

Young trainees from the Historical Seas Tall Ships Regatta were able to vent their competitive spirit today by taking part in the regatta sports event here in Volos. The 30 degrees plus temperature, however, unusual for this time of year, was not ideal for the activities but the tough teams were not to be put off and enjoyed a spectacular day of activity. 

Teams had a choice of football, volleyball, basketball, beach volleyball and even rowing races to chose from at different locations round the city. Those playing football used the local professional team’s ground just a kilometre along the waterfront and made the most of the exceptional well-prepared pitch.

Some of the smartest teams, including the Indonesians from Dewaruci, and Team Shabab Oman, hit the pitch in style in their matching kit and seemed like a force to be reckoned with.

A few miles along the road at one of Volos’ well-equipped sports complexes, the basketball teams were enjoying some extremely lively matches. Twenty-four-year-old Satria Maharbhika from Team Dewaruci said he was looking forward to international competition. “It is very interesting for us to be able to play here because it means we can play with the Navy from other countries. We are also very competitive so, we’re also hoping to win.”

Eighteen-year-old Oleg Rakhimov – Cadet trainee from aboard the Russian Class A Ship Mir – was not disheartened by their first game loss. “We lost our first game against Dar Mlodziezy but we still have a long way to go. This particular  sports day is very well organised. The best thing about sports day however, is being able to interact with the other teams who we may otherwise not get to know. We’re sort of forced together in a good way, and I think that is very valuable.”