KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica will play host to this year’s men’s and women’s senior Caribbean Championships, authorities here have announced.
This follows an inspection tour of facilities here last month by president of the Caribbean Zonal of Volleyball Associations, Mushtaque Mohammed.
Jamaica’s volleyball chief, Rudolph Speid said the governing body CAZOVA had advised that his association possessed the “enthusiasm and drive” to successfully host the region’s premier volleyball tournament.
“The president of the Caribbean Zonal of Volleyball Associations was very pleased in what he saw when he visited Jamaica last month in our bid to host the championships. He took a look at all the various facilities which are required to be chosen as the host,” the Gleaner newspaper quoted Speid as saying.
He added: “JaVA (Jamaica Volleyball Association) was really happy when we were advised by Mushtaque Mohammed, president of CAZOVA, who visited Jamaica last month to conduct site visits of our proposed tournament training venues, as well as hotels for the athletes and officials.”
Quoting a letter sent to JaVA by Mohammed, Speid said the association had managed to satisfy CAZOVA’s expectations.
“From my inspection visit, it was evident that you and your team have the enthusiasm and drive necessary to provide the best conditions for the hosting of our major tournaments,” Mohammed said in the correspondence.
The tournament has been set for July 7-17, with the National Indoor Sports Centre identified as the venue.
Eight men’s and women’s teams are expected to participate even though Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados have been the only countries to confirm their attendance.
“At present, I have not received any applications from any other Caribbean countries, but I am, however, very optimistic that we will have the full number of teams participating whenever the invitations are sent out,” Speid noted.
He said JaVA had set a precedent of successfully hosting Caribbean tournaments and expected the upcoming senior tournament to be similarly well executed.
“We were very fortunate of being the host over several Caribbean countries because of our great hospitality and preparedness and the president (Mohammed) was very pleased during his visit to Jamaica.”
