Teams prepare for volleyball showdown
Football may be entering its final playoff and basketball is in the midst of a heated semipro competition, but for three nights this weekend it is volleyball which will take centre stage in Belizean sports. Jose Sanchez has details.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
This morning team captains and coaches from El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Belize sat down at the City Centre to let the public know that they intend to win this weekend’s qualifier for the NORCECA Tournament in Barbados.
Clement Usher, President Belize Volleyball Association
“Today we are on the eve of the opening of this most prestigious volleyball event and we are indeed happy to have all of you present here this morning to help us to promote this NORCECA Group A qualification tournament.”
Many people are wondering how Belize will do. Last week the National Male Team participated in exhaustive workouts and practice matches with one of Cuba’s best Junior teams. Team Captain Oscar Arnold says that while Costa Rica may have won the last battle, this weekend Belize will win the war.
Oscar Arnold, Team Captain, Belize National Team
“Like Costa Rica, the Cubans are very tall, they hit high over the net and they have a very, very strong jump serve. The Cubans are even stronger than the Costa Ricans and that basically was the preparation that we wanted to get to prepare for a match against Costa Rica.
They’ve structured their teams to compete in NORCECA which means they have to have bigger teams and stronger players. The Cubans helped us a lot with dealing with a lot of adversities, playing from behind, especially if you fall behind in a match. Playing against bigger players where you can’t overpower them but you must play mind games and you must play volleyball better than they do.”
Mauricio Prado Coach, Costa Rica
“I expect the all the teams to give very difficult matches. The last time I noticed that the Belizean hitters were very physical and jumped high. But what we are doing this time around was to bring taller players and increase their blocking game.”
But Belize isn’t in it only against Costa Rica. Guatemala is also staking a claim to the top spot.
Hugo Garcia, Guatemala, Team Captain
“I think our team is expecting to win every time we participate in a tournament, but we also take this tournament as a practice to the Central American tournament that’s going to be in Guatemala in November. We don’t know how Belize and Costa Rica are right now. We played against them a year and a half ago. We are hearing that they are at a very high level right now. We hear that the Cuban National Team was here. We are expecting to win every time but it’s going to be a difficult tournament.”
Jose Sanchez
“Because of the problems between Belize and Guatemala, do you feel any pressure to beat Belize in this competition?”
Hugo Garcia
“Well for me in particular, I don’t think so. I think each team that is here always feel a pressure to play against a team in Central America because we’re too close.”
Oscar Arnold
“We are not looking past the other teams because like I said Guatemala is a very feisty team and as much as they don’t want to admit it there is some sort of animosity between the two teams. We all get along at tournaments, but when it gets down to game time it is still winner, loser I must beat you.”
Only one team can move on to the NORCECA championship in Barbados. You could catch the action with James Adderley on Sports Monday, but it would be better to come out and cheer our team as it faces off with Guatemala in the first round on Friday night. Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
Tickets are five dollars for adults, two for children. The first game on Friday and Saturday begins at 7:00 with the second at 9:00. On Sunday the competition moves up to 5:00 and 7 o’clock. The team with the best record will qualify for the NORCECA tournament.
