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 THE golden sands of Barry Island, near Cardiff, could be turned into a volleyball training village for the 2012 London Olympics.
A bid has been launched for the resort to become the main training base for volleyball teams from across the world who will be taking part in the 2012 Games in London.
The bid, by the Welsh Beach Volleyball Association, has been backed by the Vale of Glamorgan council's cabinet which has agreed to contribute £5,000 towards a promotional DVD.
The beach at Whitmore Bay has become a popular venue for the sport during the past decade and hosts regular junior training camps and the annual British Grand Prix finals.
Staged in early August, last year's two-day event, which was filmed as part of the bid, attracted around 11,000 spectators.
"This is something we can support given the great efforts being made by the Welsh association, through its Barry Island club, to establish the local resort as the centre for beach volleyball in Wales and, possibly, the UK," said Vale council leader Jeff James. "These types of events will help broaden the Vale's appeal as a visitor destination."
Carl Harwood, former president of the Welsh Volleyball Association and the British Beach Commission, retired from his job as a computer technician in order to devote his time to promoting and developing the sport.
He believes Barry Island is the best beach resort for the sport. The 41-year-old said the resort has become one of the premier venues to hold volleyball events in Britain. "It has grown in popularity even more here in South Wales than any other region in the UK," he said. "A lot of its popularity is down to the fact that some schools are turning to non-contact sports, which is what beach volleyball is. It doesn't matter what age you are, you can play it to a certain level and you can have mixed teams, men's teams, women's teams, and you don't need a lot of money to play it.
"You just go down the beach with a pair of shorts on and you are ready to go. It's accessible for everybody."
Mr Harwood added, "It is a good sport to play and it is a very good sport to watch, you don't need to be an expert to understand how to score a point.
"The majority of people who have been on holiday have played what we call 'social volleyball'. It is the second largest sport next to football in the world, there are so many federations."
The popularity of beach volleyball in South Wales means the standards are being raised.
"We are good at it and we are getting better," said Mr Harwood. "We have got one young lad coming through, Martin Deem, who is 16, and he is superb. I can see him making the next Olympics and, if he perseveres with the training we are giving him, there is no reason why he can't get to the World Series in 2007."
It is hoped Barry will hold a World Series event in the coming years and plans are also being drawn up to build an indoor beach volleyball centre for winter training.
"Barry Island has the facilities already in place, we are way ahead of anywhere else in the UK," Mr Harwood said. "Barry Island is so good because of the quality of the sand and the facilities there. The quality and depth of sand at Barry Island has made it one of the leading resorts for top volleyball competition."
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