After a quarter of a century at the helm, Martin Van der Sichel will step down at the end of May from Ghent’s three-star beach volleyball event. Sander Deruyck and Pieter Kesteloot are taking over at a time when the sport is more popular than ever, but also under increasing logistical and financial pressure.

Belgian beach volleyball has used a new star-rating system this year to safeguard the quality of its tournaments. The Ghent stop received the federation’s maximum rating of three stars. The event, running this week through Whit Monday, 25 May, on Ghent’s Sint-Pietersplein, is therefore one of the spring’s major sporting and social highlights.

A quarter century of passion
For chief organiser Martin Van der Sichel (64) – better known in Ghent volleyball circles as “the sand man” – this will be an emotional edition. It is almost his 25th and final organisation. Since the event’s debut in 2000, the tournament has only deviated from its usual format twice: once when it moved from Emiel Braunplein to Sint-Pietersplein, and later when it was forced to pause because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Every year, the day after the six beach days ended, Van der Sichel would already start preparing the next edition.

The fact that the tournament now begins on Tuesday is a direct result of its success. “Youth participation is huge; there are currently thirty girls’ teams on the waiting list,” Van der Sichel says. The logistical operation behind the event has grown more impressive each year. Five courts – four match courts and one warm-up court – are in constant use. A team of seventy loyal volunteers keeps everything running smoothly. “At six o’clock on Tuesday morning, the first trucks loaded with sand arrived. We were already in place. Exactly one week later, we hand Sint-Pietersplein back spotless.”

The Ghent tournament is also known for its innovative ideas. A few years ago it introduced a world first with the King and Queen of the Court concept for youth players, and this year the organisation continues that trend with professional video livestreams and a Prince and Princess of the Court competition. The programme is ambitious and diverse: alongside the elite action of the Pro Belgian Beach Tour there are school tournaments, corporate events and the 11th edition of the beach pétanque competition. On Wednesday alone, 96 pairs will step onto the sand.

The event also has a strong local identity, with the Ghent bell-ringer as host, the Memorial Philippe De Cock – co-founder of the Ghent business club – and genuine ambassadors such as Maud Wijckmans (Dok Noord Gent B), Lucia De Bree, Milan Thielemans and Garben Coene (Caruur Gent).

The end of an era
Van der Sichel’s departure comes as a surprise to many. The decision is driven by both personal and external factors. “The battery is empty,” he admits. “We’re all getting older, including my regular staff. I thought about it for a long time, but it’s no longer as easy as it used to be. Wilfried Van Mol – the grey eminence of Belgian volleyball – organised his tournament in Sint-Amandsberg from 1963 to 2000. We started our beach story in 2000. Today, the circumstances have changed. Subsidies from the city of Ghent are disappearing, while payments for all the equipment are increasing. The fact that I’m retiring and want more time for my family is also an important reason.”

Van der Sichel is not disappearing entirely, however; he will continue to support the new organisation behind the scenes with his experience.

“I certainly won’t leave those guys in the lurch.”

The handover is in the hands of Sander Deruyck and Pieter Kesteloot, the driving forces behind the Ghentbrugge beach academy BeachTraxx. On their permanent site along the old railway line, around a hundred young players now train.

“Beach volleyball is becoming an absolute hype,” says Deruyck, who has a playing background himself and wants to use the sport to connect people. “The potential is enormous. In 2023 we already hosted the Flemish championship and the youth Masters, which coincided with the European Volleyball Championship. That was the perfect springboard.”

While Deruyck focuses on the sporting vision, Pieter Kesteloot – who previously helped launch the youth King and Queen concept – will take charge of the operational and practical side of the Ghent three-star event. It promises to be a fitting transfer of a quarter century of Ghent sporting heritage.

Text and photo: Walter Vereeck