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While you’re a six-foot tall seaside volleyball participant, you want a bit extra headroom and legroom in your automobile than regular.
Throw in observe periods together with your teammates and all of the volleyballs, nets and sustenance to get you thru a scorching sandy session, and the automobile must have much more area.
Mahindra is the official automobile companion of the Seashore Volleyroos, and its seven-seat Scorpio has ample room to ferry seven of Australia’s high and creating gamers from their lodge to the courts on the 2025 Australian Seashore Volleyball Championships in Adelaide.
Australian Crew gamers Thomas Hodges, Paul Burnett and Jana Milutinovic, in addition to Growing Volleyroos Solly Bushby, Josh Howat, Jolie Du Plessis and Finley Bennett, say the automobile can undoubtedly get the job executed.
At 189cm tall, Milutinovic says one of many first issues she normally notices when she sits in a automotive is the shortage of area – however not within the Scorpio.
“I don’t discover it, which is an efficient signal – normally I discover right away that my head hits the roof, and my ft don’t match [when sitting in the back seat] – so the very fact I don’t is a optimistic,” she says.
“It’s very glossy on the within and really luxurious.”
Hodges and Bushby say the automobile can deal with terrain whether or not they’re taking part in on the seaside or visiting buddies on their farm.
“It’s obtained all of the tech and it’s very snug to drive,” Hodges says.
“I can take it to the extremes of seaside situations,” Bushby says.
Howat says it’s also essential for a automobile to have the ability to deal with the town and be simple to park, and the Scorpio is able to doing all that too.
Mahindra’s partnership with Australia’s volleyballers is the automotive producer’s first foray into sports activities sponsorship, which gamers not solely welcome for the practicalities it gives for his or her distinctive sport, however the recognition and professionalism it brings for them.
“We don’t get heaps of visibility like sports activities equivalent to netball or soccer do, so to have that attain [through Mahindra] is tremendous essential for us,” Milutinovic says.
“It undoubtedly makes the game really feel larger having a automotive model on board,” Howat says.
Bushby says the model’s sponsorship helps to convey professionalism to their sport.
“It’s distinctive to seaside volleyball to have this type of model sponsor, as normally it’s manufacturers like sunscreen, sunnies and hats,” he says.
Du Plessis agrees, saying there are different practicalities required with being a seaside volleyball participant than solar safety.
“You at all times want transport, and also you want area within the boot in case you’re carrying nets round,” she says. “We’re undoubtedly capable of fill it with volleyballs and all of the gear we want for a volleyball match as nicely – further balls, luggage, meals, snacks and your teammates,” Bennett says.
“I believe the partnership is superb. It’s a singular sponsor for seaside volleyball, particularly in Australia.”
As a part of the partnership, Mahindra model ambassador and former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has additionally lent his skilled sporting experience to the volleyball gamers, Burnett says.
“It’s at all times nice to have help from an organization like Mahindra, and to have Matty Hayden come and mentor us initially of the 12 months, it’s cool to determine these connections as nicely,” he says.
Hodges, who competed on the Paris 2024 Olympics, says that, in the end, the partnership helps the gamers to carry out at their finest on the world stage.
“We’re a small area of interest sport and any help that we are able to get from any firm is large to allow us to pursue the Olympic dream, so having Mahindra on board is superior,” Hodges says.
MORE: Discover the Mahindra Scorpio showroom
