ZVA to host international referees’ course

Senior Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe Volleyball Association will from today play host to an international referees’ course in Harare.
It will run for 10 days.
ZVA president Frederick Ndlovu confirmed on Thursday, that his association had been accorded the opportunity to host the event in which seven other countries would be represented, with Zimbabwe providing five officials, two of them women.

An elated Ndlovu, who is a member of the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) development commission, said it was an honour to host such a course. Usually such seminars are held in countries who have CAVB or International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) development centres.

“It’s an honour to be playing host to such a high level course.
“Usually they give these opportunities to countries with development centres. To have been accorded the opportunity to do so, is an honour for us as ZVA and the zone.

“The participants will have their practicals at the Harare International School, which has an indoor facility that conforms to expected standards,” said Ndlovu.

Jean Claude Baccus of Belgium will be the course director, with Alexander James Steel of the United Kingdom, the instructor.
“They’re highly qualified personnel who’re part of the FIVB Rules of the Game Commission. Steel is actually its president, so they bring with them a lot of experience,” said Ndlovu, a former Railmac and Bulawayo Polytechnic outsider hitter.

Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Madagascar, Egypt, Lesotho and Mozambique are represented.
Nomvelo Mlotshwa, Sibusisiwe Masiyanise, Brian Manuel, Liberty Manwa and Spencer Chitate, are the Zimbabweans who will take part at the workshop.

They have been part of the National League pool and have been registered with the international motherbody since 2009.
Volleyball was at some stage the second most popular sport at schools.

Due to lack of sound corporate support, ZVA and its provincial affiliates are now funding their own development activities. This is even affecting leagues in the country.

There is positive growth though at schools, with the country able to send teams to regional championships at Under-13 and 20 levels yearly ,with the government actively involved.