The BVI Amateur Volleyball Association announced Tuesday that it will host and compete in two legs of a World qualifier tournament on June 7-10, but officials are worried that the lack of a practise facility has hampered Virgin Islands players “significantly.”

The tournament is the first of three qualifiers for the 2014 FIVB  Word Championship competition in Europe.

The VI tournament will be held at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex and will feature both men’s and women’s divisions.

“We will get to see both BVI male and female national teams in action,” BVIAVA President Sabinah Clement said.

The top three teams will advance to the second qualifier in 2012, before qualifying for the final qualifier in 2013. The top team in the final qualifier will advance to the championship.

“This World Championship qualification event is only next to the Olympics [as] the biggest event in the volleyball world,” Ms. Clement said.

The BVIAVA president compared the tournament to the FIFA World Cup, with teams from around the world competing for the championship. Ms. Clement added that teams compete in their “geographic zone,” with the VI in the Easter Caribbean Zone.

Teams from Dominica, Antigua, St. Martin, St. Kitts and a Montserrat will be competing in the VI tournament.

Ms. Clement said both the male and female players have been “working very hard” with some “intense physical training” at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.  However, she said the players need more “court time,” but it has been a “challenge to secure” the Multi-purpose Sports Complex for training.

During a press conference Tuesday morning at the BVI Olympic Committee’s Road Reef headquarters, acting Director of Youth Affairs and Sports Patrick Harrigan, on behalf Minister of Education and Culture Myron Walwyn, assured Ms. Clement that the facility would be made available to the BVIAVA for training.

“I know that the association has been saying that they have not been getting as much practise time as they like, because of the need of the facilities,” Mr. Harrigan said. “But the minister has asked me to let you know he will do whatever it is to make sure that you can get to practise.”

Ms. Clement said the players have only practiced twice on court with only one month to go to the tournament.

“We have been doing the best we can with what we have,” Ms. Clement said. “As far as physical condition we have that covered, what we need is court time where we can run plays. …Given Mr. Harrigan and the minister’s commitment we fully expect that we will be able to utilise the facility at least five days a week. ….we will hold [him] to that.”

The players will be getting a helping hand with the arrival of professional player, Matias Di Fulvio, who was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday evening for a month to help train and coach players for the tournament. The Argentina native currently plays in an Italy league and will be assisting VI coaches with the selection of the teams.

There are plans to practise at least two hours a day with the coach, which officials hope will improve their chances in the tournament.

“We hope to be put on a very good show,” Ms. Clement said.

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