THE third edition of the National Association of School Heads (NASH) Beach Volley took place over the weekend with girls from Mnene Secondary School in Mberengwa, Midlands, scooping the gold medal while the boys from Cornway High School maintained gold for the third year.
Mnene High School which participated in the competition for the first time is basking in glory as the boys also took the third place and walked away with the bronze medal.
In an interview, head in charge of NASH, Perpetua Masarira said she was excited with the rise in the participants.
“This is the third edition of the schools tournament and so far so good,” Masarira said.
“We encourage rural schools to take advantage of the silted rivers and enjoy beach volleyball on a ‘natural’ beach.
“For schools without the turf, especially in urban areas it is wise to have an artificial turf because beach volleyball is cheap as only two players participate.”
In another interview, Mnene Beach Volleyball coach, Crispen Chibhira said winning was tremendous as it opened doors for two of their girls Rufaro Matekenya and Chipo Shoko who were identified for trials for the Zimbabwe national team.
“I am delighted that the girls performed absolutely well considering that this is the second time that we have participated at the tournament and the talent has been easily recognised,” said Chibhira.
“However, we face some constraints with transport which hinders us from participating in other tournaments.”
Beach Volleyball is on one of the few sports that lack proper recognition in Zimbabwe, but the Zimbabwe National Beach Volleyball team recently participated at the Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.
A beach volleyball team consists of two players.
However, in social competitions two-to-six players may participate.
No substitutions can be made.
Players on each team aim to hit the ball over the net with their hands, although it is permissible for any part of the body to be used to hit the ball.
Unlike indoor volleyball, the players do not have fixed positions and can play from any position on the court.
It is said beach volleyball was probably first played in Hawaii in 1915, when the Outrigger Beach and Canoe Club set up a court on Waikiki Beach.
Most people though believe that it began in Santa Monica, California, in the 1920s, about 25 years after the indoor version of the game was invented on the other side of the USA in Massachusetts.
The sport began as a form of family fun at the beach, and its wide appeal and low cost meant it soon spread around the world.
By the 1930s it was being played in a number of places: Riga, Sofia and Prague, the capital cities of Latvia, Bulgaria, and the then Czechoslovakia.
The sport was given a boost during the Great Depression.
Cash-strapped Americans in their hundreds flocked to the beaches to play what was virtually a no-cost pastime and a free source of entertainment.
By the 1950s, competitions were being held in California. 
In 1986, the International Volleyball Federation recognised the sport.
Since then, beach volleyball’s world tour has spread from the United States into Asia and Europe.
In Zimbabwe it began at the turn of the millennium with schools now embracing the game as well.
Hopefully the sport will continue to grow in the country.