Zim beach volleyball team unlikely to travel

Sport
ZIMBABWE’S beach volleyball team set to take part in the Under-21 girls World Championships which begin on Thursday in Croatia is unlikely to travel to the competition as they have not yet secured visas.

ZIMBABWE’S beach volleyball team set to take part in the Under-21 girls World Championships which begin on Thursday in Croatia is unlikely to travel to the competition as they have not yet secured visas.

SPORTS REPORTER

The team comprises Matilda Dube and Charity Chikore. Zimbabwe Volleyball Association (ZVA) secretary-general Ringisai Mapondera yesterday said chances were slim that the team will travel.

“We have had problems in trying to secure visas to Croatia because their embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, wants invitation letters, but they have not received them.

“The players have not secured visas, so the trip is very uncertain. We will try to focus more on the other World Championships in Porto next month,” he said.

Jonathan Panashe, Douglas Rufaro Choto, Princess Noxolo Moyo and Progress Gasa are expected to represent the country in the Under-19 World Championships from July 11-14.

Meanwhile, ZVA held its second quarterly board meeting in Harare on Saturday, which was attended by ZVA president Frederick Ndlovu, vice-presidents technical and competitions Kenneth Kondo and Chris Chivinge respectively and representatives from the Midlands, Masvingo, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, Harare and Matabeleland North provinces.

Mapondera said the meeting discussed programmes like the Great Zimbabwe Talent Identification Programme progress as well as inform the provinces that the national mother body will request clubs to provide results on what they have done with the 50 balls and 10 nets that they received from the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) in April.

“It is very important for provinces to fully utilise the equipment for development.

“The FIVB will in future send their representative to the country to find out on how the equipment has benefited the sport in the country before they can give us any more,” he said.

The meeting also saw a resolution that all provinces should pay up their affiliation fee of $200 per year as most have not paid while provinces will be expected to pay $100 affiliation fees for the inter-provincial tournament to be held in July at a venue yet to be confirmed.

Mapondera said the province that does not send a team will pay a penalty of $200.

He said two international courses for beach volleyball refereeing and a management course were also lined up in July and August. The association, he added, also needs financial support.