Two days of sand and cheers in Brazzaville
Warm sun, pounding drums and the scent of roasted fish wrapped the beach courts of the Kintélé sports complex on 4-5 October as Brazzaville hosted the fourth leg of the Central African Volleyball Confederation Zone 4 Beach Tour, under the patronage of Colonel Christelle Bouaka Milandou.
- Two days of sand and cheers in Brazzaville
- Congo duo Mazengo & Douala seize men’s gold
- Cameroon edges all-women final for top spot
- Tight medal table before Kribi showdown
- Kintélé courts earn praise and promises
- Road to December finale gains momentum
- Beach volleyball fever among Central African youth
- Dignitaries, volunteers and memories in the sand
Twenty-eight fast-paced matches pitted duos from Cameroon, Central African Republic and host nation Congo over two days, drawing families, students and retired volleyball greats to the stands and walks of sand where every diving save kicked up red dust and sparked cheers that rolled across the Congo River.
Congo duo Mazengo & Douala seize men’s gold
Local heroes Lydie Mazengo and Brice Douala lit up the men’s final on Sunday, overpowering Cameroon’s experienced pair Abba and Adji in straight sets, 21-13 and 21-16, with blistering jump serves that left the scoreboard operator almost as breathless as the partisan crowd.
We played for the flag and for every supporter shouting our names, Douala smiled afterward, sweat still glistening on his arms, while Mazengo thanked the coaching staff of the Directorate-General for Presidential Security club for turning lunchtime drills on hot sand into gold-medal form.
Cameroon edges all-women final for top spot
The women’s showdown offered even tighter drama as Cameroon’s Dang and Ndzaly dug deep to erase a first-set deficit, levelling 21-08 before squeezing past compatriots Irina and Nina 18-16 in a tie-break that saw four match points exchanged under the gathering Brazzaville dusk.
Colonel Bouaka Milandou congratulated both teams at the podium, praising their grit and noting that matches like this prove Central African women can dominate in arenas once thought reserved for others, a remark that drew approving nods from young girls waving home-made banners near the medal stand.
Tight medal table before Kribi showdown
Cameroon left Brazzaville atop the cumulative Zone 4 table with one gold and two silvers, edging Congo’s haul of one gold and one bronze, while Central African Republic celebrated its first senior-tour bronze, a success local press in Bangui described as a breath of fresh sporting air.
With rankings now tight, mathematicians inside each federation are calculating scenarios for December’s grand finale in Kribi, where double points wait and, more importantly, continental scouts will evaluate talent for next year’s African Games, magnifying every dig, block and tactical timeout.
Kintélé courts earn praise and promises
For Congo, the event also spotlighted the Kintélé beach courts themselves, carved beside the majestic 60,000-seat football stadium yet often underused; fresh sand was trucked in, lines repainted and LED scoreboards tested, giving athletes facilities many described as on par with continental finals.
Zone 4 secretary-general Dieudonné Kaya urged city authorities to keep the complex open year-round so national teams and schools can train without travelling abroad, a call echoed by spectators who, on departure, snapped selfies and asked attendants when casual weekend sessions would be available.
Road to December finale gains momentum
Closing ceremonies were brief but heartfelt; Fécovo president Denis Mban noted that attention now shifts to Kribi and invited regional sponsors to come aboard, saying a vibrant tour needs both athletic excellence and stable logistics, from transport allowances to modern nets that resist tropical humidity.
Coaches immediately gathered athletes for debriefs, highlighting serve-reception percentages and hydration habits under Equatorial heat; many squads will hold mini-camps in Pointe-Noire, Yaoundé or Bangui before converging on Kribi’s oceanfront sands, determined to fine-tune communication patterns as beach volleyball rewards duos that think as one.
Beach volleyball fever among Central African youth
The sport’s rise mirrors broader youth enthusiasm for outdoor activities that build camaraderie without expensive gear; all one needs is sand, a ball and, in Mazengo’s words, an unbreakable will to chase it before it kisses the ground, a message that resonated across social media.
Government sports officers present noted that promoting beach volleyball aligns with national health strategies encouraging active lifestyles and local tourism, as events draw visitors to riverbanks, hotels and markets, creating small business opportunities from jersey printing to grilled tilapia stalls outside the complex gates.
Youth development officer Clarisse Ngassaki revealed that after the tournament ten new community courts will be marked along Brazzaville’s riverfront, financed through a partnership with local entrepreneurs; the pilot programme hopes to host weekly clinics where national-team players mentor schoolchildren during off-season afternoons, starting as early as November.
Dignitaries, volunteers and memories in the sand
Among the dignitaries applauding every rally were inspector-general Charles Dinga, director-general Jean-Robert Bindélé and Cameroon’s embassy counsellor Mrs Fonkou Kinko, their presence reinforcing regional friendship as flags of both nations fluttered side by side, photographed by influencers eager to post proudly Congolese yet pan-African moments.
Before lights dimmed, officials handed commemorative whistles to referees and colourful backpacks to ball retrievers, small gestures that underlined the tour’s inclusive spirit and sent volunteers home smiling, already sharing stories of spikes and sunburns that, for one weekend, made them part of Central African sporting history.
