Nicaragua to host NORCECA Women’s U20 Championship
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USA and Dominican Republic have dominated the NORCECA Women’s U20 Championship in past years |
Managua, Nicaragua, August 17, 2012 – Teams from nine countries will compete at the NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental Championship in Managua August 21 to 26. This is the first time a Central American country is hosting the event.
The medal winners of the competition will gain spots in next year’s FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship, to be held in Czech Republic. In the past four editions of the championship, United States and Dominican Republic have finished first and second – with USA winning the title in five of the seven editions held so far. Cuba and Puerto Rico won the others.
Bertha Cuadra, president of Nicaragua’s Volleyball Federation, appreciated the confidence shown by the NORCECA during a press conference held at the Seminole Hotel.
“This event will allow us to host national teams with athletes that in future can become Olympic or world-caliber players,” Cuadra said. “NORCECA president Cristóbal Marte, has always had a clear vision about development of volleyball in the Central American and Caribbean areas. Thus we have secured the participation of three countries from our zone and four from the Caribbean – with the presence of Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, as well as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago and Antigua & Barbuda.”
The other two teams that will complete this championship are USA and Mexico, two countries with aspirations of reaching the podium. Dominican Republic is first in the NORCECA ranking, followed by USA and Cuba. Mexico is in fourth place and Costa Rica fifth. Antigua, Trinidad & Tobago and Guatemala are zonal champions, and Nicaragua is the host team.
“Along with the vote of confidence from NORCECA to organise this tournament, we have economic support for this challenge, because is a high investment, due to the lodging, gathering and internal transportation of the competing teams,” Cuadra said. “We also have support from the Government of Nicaragua, which maintains its policy of support to all sports. They [the government] are covering almost 40 per cent of the costs.”
The competing teams arrived in Managua August 19 and the first matches are scheduled for August 21. The opening ceremony will also take place August 21, at 19:30 local time. All the diplomatic missions of the competing countries, as well as government and national sports officers, have been invited.
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