A JUNIOR male team from the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) yesterday winged out of Guyana for Trinidad to contest the FLOW Volleyball Easter Classic Invitational Players League 5 Tournament, which is being organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation TTVF).The Easter Classic tournament will be played at the Mayaro Indoor Facility from Friday to Sunday.
According to a release from the association, although Guyana is affiliated to the CSV (South American Volleyball Confederation) and is not part of the CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association), Guyana’s Junior team were invited by the TTVF based on their remarkable performance in winning a Goodwill Tournament in Trinidad last year. The local lads will clash with teams from St Kitts, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad over the Easter Weekend.
According to Chef de Mission and manager/coach Levi Nedd, the team’s participation will serve as part of their preparation for the Inter-Guianas Games (IGG) and the CSV Inter-Continental Tournament billed for later this year.
The team includes seven players with international experience in the form of Yoganand Dhoray (captain), Devendra Latchman, (vice-captain), Ravi Rampertab, Klondyke Rodney, Samuel Fraser, Lezon Khan and Rolwyn Heywood – all members of Guyana’s IGG 2014 champion team.
The other players are; Vickram Nandram, Kellon Leitch, Reaad Razak, Marcellous Hector, Joel Cort, Jermaine Munroe and Joel Hughes.
The assistant coach is Devendra Budhu, while female players Malika Jervis and Nadine Benjamin are other officials accompanying the team.
Klondyke Rodney who is a middle blocker and the team’s tallest player and one from whom much is expected during the tournament, in invited comments, said the team is well prepared for the tournament, confidence is high and players will do their best to bring home honours for Guyana.
Nedd, who is also the president of the BVA and the vice-president of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, expressed gratitude to several organisations and individuals for making the team’s participation possible in the Twin Island Republic,
Among them are: the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, the National Sports Commission, the Guyana Volleyball Federation, GUYSUCO, the Management and Apprentices of the Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC), Mr Poonai Bhigroog of Poonai’s Pharmacy, members of the Business Community and the wider community of Volleyball friends and supporters.
The team will return to Guyana on March 28.