Beach sports building bridges – Nordic Beach Week brings Handball and Volleyball together in Angola

The Atlantic sparkles as the sun sets over the long sandy beach of Lobito. A ball soars through the air, laughter mixes with cheers and the rhythm of music drifts from the speakers. For one week, this Angolan coastal city transformed into an international meeting place for both beach handball and Beach Volleyball. From 15 to 21 September, Nordic Beach Week gathered some of the Nordic region’s top athletes in Angola to train, compete, and share experiences with teams from Portugal, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe – and of course, the host nation Angola.

The event and tournament were organised by the Angolan partner MAEF Beach Volleyball School, in collaboration with the Norwegian and Swedish Embassies. The co-founder of MAEF, Edson Figuereido, says that it was a pleasure to host the Nordic and African teams in his home country and showcase the beautiful beaches of Lobito. “This week demonstrated to the world that we have the capacity to organise professional sports events in Angola, and we look forward to the next such opportunity.” 

The week also included beach clean-ups, training sessions for Angolan coaches, shared dinners, and dance classes in the local styles of Kizomba and Kuduro. A special “try-it” day for children from a nearby school became a highlight for players and spectators alike, as the kids got to experience both beach handball and Beach Volleyball alongside elite athletes.

Sport as diplomacy
For Sweden’s ambassador to Angola, Lennart Killander Larsson, Nordic Beach Week is a clear example of how sport can bring nations closer together. “This is the first time we have worked with sports diplomacy on this scale to build bridges between countries and people. The commitment is tremendous and transcends culture and language. I am convinced that not only the Swedish players, but all the participants, will take home wonderful memories. Thanks to several Swedish companies and strong support from the local population and politicians at both local and national level, we have been able to make this tournament a reality.”

Swedish champions inspire the next generation
Among the players were Swedish twins Sanna and Tina Thurin – six-time Swedish Beach Volleyball champions, two-time North European champions and World Tour bronze medallists. Even though their sport is Volleyball, the opportunity to share the experience with beach handball players and to compete side by side offered something completely new.

“It has been so much fun to be part of this trip, especially all the activities we have done together – everything from training sessions to shared dinners, dancing Kizomba and just hanging out on the beach,” says Sanna Thurin. “This is so much more than just training and competing. It is about the relationships that form around it. The sense of togetherness is incredibly strong, and you really see how people can meet and learn from each other through sport.”

Twin sister Tina adds: “We had never taken part in anything like Nordic Beach Week before. Normally it is only pure training camps, and not so much focus on social aspects. A highlight for me was the kids’ try-out session – when one of the children came up and said, ‘I’m going to start playing this sport,’ it was such a powerful moment. Those are the memories you take home.”

The sisters also recall a magical late-afternoon practice when several whales swam past during sunset, just beyond the shoreline. “Us Swedes wanted to stop training right away to watch, but the Namibian players thought it was nothing unusual,” Sanna laughs.

A week of connections
Their coach, Mattias Magnusson, spent the week training Beach Volleyball teams from Angola, Namibia, Sweden and Norway, and highlights the unique atmosphere. “It has been incredible to see people from different countries and cultures truly come together through sport. Everyone embraced the week and got to know each other. It has been a wonderfully enjoyable and inspiring experience.”

As the weekend final matches approached, excitement was high – but results were secondary. “The most important thing is the great atmosphere and the sense of community the sport creates among players, coaches and everyone coming here to participate in one way or another,” Magnusson says.

Looking ahead
As the week drew to a close, both players and organisers felt that something bigger had begun. New friendships, shared experiences, and the first steps toward a, hopefully, long-term Nordic–Angolan collaboration left everyone eager for more.

“We truly hope Nordic Beach Week becomes a recurring event, and we would gladly return to Lobito,” says Sanna Thurin. “Building international connections through sport is such a special experience, one we hope many more people will have the chance to share.”

What started as an idea of sports diplomacy ended as something even greater than expected, and gave the reminder that a beach, a ball, and a simple willingness to meet can build connections between people – and between continents. 

Pictures courtesy of Lina Pukari and Augusto Prata