SVGVA not skimping on beach volleyball

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Volleyball Association (SVGVA) will be paying greater attention in the upcoming months to the growing popularity of beach volleyball.{{more}}

This, with the number of opportunities presenting themselves on the North Central American and Caribbean Confederation (NORCECA) circuit in 2013.

This year, the regional body has listed 17 stops, with at least four within the reach of SVG.

NORCECA last month announced that the prize money for top-ranked national federations at the end of the year will be increased to US$10,000 — from US$5,000, per gender.

Last year, SVG contested with little success the St Lucia stop. Daryl Franklyn and Cluevann Cumberbatch represented the country in the male category. In the female segment, Nikita Campbell and Bownie Allicot carried the Vincentians hopes.

The SVGVA will next month host three weekends of play offs at the Buccament Bay Resorts courts to determine the Vincentian representatives.

Campbell, who is also the head of the SVGVA beach commission, told SEARCHLIGHT on Friday that her organisation will be on a drive to get more persons learn the rudiments of beach volleyball.

She said that although not the ideal situation, practice sessions will be held at the Kingstown Preparatory School court on Thursdays and at the Buccament Bay Resort courts on Saturdays.

The SVGVA is banking on the expertise of certified volleyball coach, Brazilian Joao Carlos Morales de Campos, who will be here for his second one-month stay from March to April.

Also on the plate of the SVGVA in 2013 are the male and female teams sojourn to the second round of the World Championships.

The females are placed in group K, slated for the US Virgin Islands April 4-8, with the males heading to the Dominican Republic June 13-17.

Further, the junior male volleyballers are set to participate in the ECVA tournament in St Maarten from July 11- 15.

And, SVG will be part of the ECVA youth male and female as well as the ECVA junior female, but the dates and host countries are yet to be determined by the sport’s sub-regional body. (RT)