Gold in China Open

In China and throughout Asia, beach volleyball is considered a glamorous and very popular sport. For the past week teams from nine countries have been battling it out for the 2010 China Open Title. The competition was strong and the field included the silver medallist from the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. In Xianning where the tournament took place 2.8 million Chinese citizens have learnt where Vanuatu is, thanks to Henriette Iatika and Miller Elwin’s outstanding performance. Miller Elwin and Henriette Iatika started ranked 6th in the tournament, but finished top in their pool after beating China 3 (2-1) and Thailand (2-1). Vanuatu went on to beat Hong Kong (2-0) in the cross over game to face up against China 2 in the semi finals. In a fantastic victory, the Vanuatu women were able to execute their game strategy, and take the first set, 21:17. After a shaky start the second set, Vanuatu came storming home in front of a packed Chinese grandstand, taking the second set and ultimately the game 21:17.