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Existing momentum should be maintained
By Rawle Welch
The sport of volleyball has not been enjoying good times recently, but if one is to make an assessment from the Tradewind Tankers ‘True Champions’ Tournament, the general feeling, judging from the high standard exhibited, is that if the existing momentum is maintained, then the future could be a bright one.
Organised by Castrol Strikers Club, the tournament has attracted most of the top teams in the country and they’ve all produced a high quality of competition which has been pleasing to watch.
Flashback: Part of the action in the True Champions Tournament recently.
Despite an accumulative low attendance, the players have been churning out exciting performances throughout the tournament so far and this has been consistent at all the venues that hosted matches.
This encouraging feature is solid testimony to the commitment of the players and one could clearly distinguish that if given the right support, both from the sport’s administration and the corporate community, the fate of the game could change dramatically.
It is a sport that is very inexpensive to play with only a pair of sneakers required, while the Beach format is even more economical.
This is why it is so difficult to understand the reason(s) for the sport’s current state of exhaustion.
Many reasons have flowed from the mouths of the administration, players and enthusiasts and all have strong views as to the real cause(s) for the sport’s current circumstance.
Officialdom have stated on more than one occasion that the difficulty to acquire the use of the sole indoor facility have created a condition of disillusionment, while the players have blamed those same officials for not trying hard enough to propel the sport forward by taking advantage of the numerous outdoor facilities that are available.
Which ever party is right or wrong the fact of the matter is, not enough volleyball is being played to encourage the business community to offer its support.
As we all know, most business entities are unwilling to put their dollars into a sport that seems to be heading nowhere and who could blame them for this stance.
Some enthusiasts have said that if the indoor facility is proving to be a stumbling block to the development of the sport, why then haven’t the other format which is Beach Volleyball not being promoted.
This argument has some merit and it would be interesting to hear the response from the relevant authority. There are many spaces and venues where this format could be played, but still, the sport continues to suffer from a lack of activity.
The present tournament highlights the potential of the sport, it can regain its energy, but all the forces have to come together and display the kind of vigour that will encourage mass participation both in terms of athletes and fans.
It is not a difficult proposition and with a well defined plan and the administration willing to work beyond the call of duty, the sport could once again start to enjoy the support we all know it could achieve.
The onus is now up to the local governing body to provide the impetus for its renaissance.
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