Emotive opening ceremony in Central American Cup

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, December 3, 2012 – The XVII Women’s Central American Volleyball Cup opened on Monday night with an emotional ceremony highlighted by the retirement by the Salvadoran National Federation of shirt number 13 used by late player Carlos Leiva.

Leiva 35, a beach volleyball player and member of El Salvador men’s selection, died last September while training in the beach volleyball court. He was taken to hospital but did not recover from a heart attack and respiratory complications.

With his long background in volleyball, FESAVOL took the occasion to make the official retirement of the shirt he wore with the national team, and it was read the ministerial agreement that gives the name "Carlos Leiva" to the Beach Volleyball Stadium.

Diana Romero, the widow of Lewis and herself a player of the women’s selection of El Salvador, received the shirt from the President of FESAVOL, Dr. Manuel Lozano.

The opening ceremony was chaired Ms. Irma de Flamenco, Vice President of El Salvador Olympic Committee, Dr. Oscar Calderon AFECAVOL Medical Officer, Professor Carlos de La Cruz, Referee Delegate and Dr. Lozano as President of the Control Committee.

Professor De la Cruz pronounced the welcoming words on behalf of the President of the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations (AFECAVOL), Ms. Martha Centeno de Sajche "who could not attend for personal reasons, but please receive her cordial greetings to all Central volleyball athletes."

The Vice President of COES said: "At the Olympic Committee we are delighted to have more than 70 athletes from six countries. This is part of our selections scrimmages looking towards the Central American Games in San Jose 2013 ".