Young spiking with satisfaction

President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Volleyball Association, Shaun Young, is delighted that his organisation was able to stage a successful championship, after some years of dormancy.{{more}}

“I am very pleased with the participation and performance of the teams, and this can be seen as a result of a lot of planning and hard work that was done from 2005 when I first took over the association to 2008”, Young told SEARCHLIGHT.

“When we can boast a competition of 19 teams, then that shows how far we are going”, he said.

The tournament saw competition in 3 divisions, Male A and B Divisions and a single female division.

“From 2005, we organized Volleyball caravans that visited the rural areas in an effort to promote the sport of Volleyball and we are proud to have teams that were non existent prior to entering the competition and doing well”, Young, a former national player, added.

“Special mention to the South Rivers teams on winning the male B division and was a direct result of the caravans visiting repeatedly and also of the hard work of Coach Vance Andrews who resides in South Rivers”, Young said with some satisfaction.

The Volleyball President pointed to the improved performance at the just concluded Windward Island Games in Grenada.

“The Windward Island Games are a big deal for volleyball. We took note and hence (were training) the Male and Female teams since January, but because of the politics involved in the selection, … the final team had to be scaled down and not all the fire power we had in store could have been used”, the Volleyball President stated.

“ Nonetheless it can be argued as one of the best Volleyball teams sent to the Games”, Young opined.

Continuing, Young said, “The performance of both teams was in my opinion very creditable and the results are nothing to be ashamed of. Placing second for the male division was a wake up call to the other three Windward Islands that SVG Volleyball is back and is one not to be taken lightly”.

“Beaten only by the Volleyball powerhouse of St. Lucia, which was more of a psychological defeat than one of skill, can only show the development of volleyball in the youth division is the direction that all teams should go.

“These junior Volleyballers are as a direct result of the Talent Identification Programme organised by the National Olympic Committee, and I can guarantee that it will not be that easy for any team to beat SVG in their own back yard as they are continuously training for up coming competitions locally and regionally”, Young said.

“There is not a one season for Volleyball in SVG; it is played all year round”, Young promised.

At a Presentation Ceremony held last Sunday evening at the National Lotteries Tennis court at Richmond Hill, prizes and trophies won in the championships were distributed. Alliance won the Male A Division, Wings of South Rivers, the Male B Division and Dickson, the Female Division. (RT)