Pedro Salvador and Bonga win in Santo Tirso 5th stage of the national championship

21/08/2017

The valuable and experienced team of Pedro Salvador and Christophe Ebongue, better known as Bonga, representatives of CD Póvoa, was the great winner of the 5th stage of the 2017 National Footvolley Championship.

The city of Santo Tirso, hosted for the first time a great event, in proof to count for the 12th edition of the National Footvolley Championship.

There were 14 teams, including 28 athletes, who evolved over the two days of competition (19 and 20 August), on the magnificent Sara Moreira Sports Park, with registration once again for the presence of teams from all over the continent and Madeira Island.

The event began on Saturday (19 August), at 3:30 p.m., with the teams progressing and discussing the qualification divided into four groups. In a first phase the less-ranked teams discussed access to Qualifying. The remaining top-ranked teams started their participation afterwards, closing the first day after 18 games and with 4 teams with the passport to the quarterfinals.

The second and final day of the stage, Sunday, August 20, had its start at 2:30 p.m., with a Qualifying still with 8 teams in the race to fight for the 4 places open to the Quarterfinals.
Then the eight teams cleared for the Elimination Phase measured their strength in the quarterfinals. As a result of the matches in the schedule, the semi-finalists were the teams Alan Cavalcanti / Nilson Júnior (Victory Club Lisboa), Luís Pinto / Ruben Santos (Quinta dos Lombos), Pedro Salvador / C. Ebongue 'Bonga' (CD Póvoa) and João Romão / Frank Tavares (Quarteira Beach Sports).
As a result of the 2 matches for the semi-finals, both Alan Cavalcanti / Nilson Junior and Pedro Salvador / Bonga won their respective opponents in 2 sets without a reply and thus reached the final.

In a party atmosphere, the big Final of the stage was discussed. The balance was the dominant note in the first set, finishing Pedro Salvador / Bonga for closing the marker in the front by 18x14. Without a chance to fail Alan Cavalcanti and Nilson Junior started the second set trying to impose their game, but the best balance in the actions and effectiveness of the opponent's game ruined all aspirations and with a new victory in the second set by clear 18x11, Pedro Salvador and Bonga closed their participation with the victory in the fifth stage.

The championship will end on the weekend of September 2 and 3, with the town of Carvoeiro, in the municipality of Lagoa (Algarve) hosting the most decisive moment of 2017.

In an organization of the National Footvolley Federation, the main supporters of the event were Santo Tirso City Hall, Café do Rio, Jornal A Bola, A Bola TV, as well as other local partners.