ECVA held dynamic General Assembly

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, February 17, 2014 – The Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) held its biennial general assembly on February 14-15 with the participation of all 14 National Federations.

The opening ceremony was honored by the presence of Mrs. Heather Samuel, Minister of Sports of Antigua & Barbuda, who pronounced laudatory words to NORCECA Confederation and the development of volleyball and beach volleyball in the region during recent years.

The representatives of the NF welcomed the participation of Saba Volleyball Association as an active member that will be joining the zonal competitions for the first time in 2014.

ECVA, one of the four zones within NORCECA, is composed by the National Volleyball Federations of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Dutch St Martin, French St Martin, Grenada, Montserrat, Saba, St Eustatius, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and Grenadines.

The General Assembly, chaired by NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz and ECVA President Glenn Quinlan, was a very dynamic exchange between the members who discussed all items related to development plan of the Confederation concerning ECVA.

The assembly highlighted the success and impact of the qualification towards the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, which allowed the teams of St Vincent and Grenadines (boys) and St Lucia (girls) to realize their Olympic dreams.

Marte Hoffiz made several reports referred to the presidency annual activities, the qualification process to Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and updated the progress towards the FIVB World Championships in Poland and Italy.

He also expressed his gratitude to the support received from FIVB and its President Dr Ary S. Graça F° and made remarks on the worldwide new initiatives regarding development of volleyball and beach volleyball.

During the two-day meetings it was programmed the permanent technical assistance to the ECVA National Federations with itinerant coaches Ramón –Monchito- Hernandez of Puerto Rico and Joao Campos Morales of Brazil, as supervisors.

It was also discussed the financial investments made by NORCECA in the ECVA Development Plan which totaled over US$270,000 that covered the areas of sport equipment distribution, assistance to the youth and junior programs, participation in beach volley tournaments, seminars and courses for coaches, referees and physical education teachers.

Also, the NORCECA investments in FIVB World Championship Qualification Tournaments with a total amount of US$ 196,143 as well as the distribution of Sport Court Volleyball surfaces with an investment of more than US$ 275,000 since 2010 was included in the report.

The National Federations recipients of Sport Court volleyball surfaces since 2010 in are: St Vincent and Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica, British Virgin Islands, French St Martin, Grenada, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda and Anguilla.