Zim Beach Volleyballers eye London 2012

This is a new competition to most African countries run under the Federation of International Volleyball Board. The sub-zonal competitions are meant to boost countries with few matches in the sport with enough points to compete at continental level.

All three countries Zimbabwe, Swaziland and the hosts will advance to the Zone VI showpiece that will be used to pick a team to represent the region in the continental beach volleyball extravaganza. The winner of the Continental Beach Volleyball Cup will join four other representatives from America, Europe, Australia and Asia in the London 2012 Olympics.

Zimbabwe is among 42 nations eyeing one ticket to the global challenge and will be represented by Yeukai Mukumbira, Nyasha Gwenzi, Nomatter Mbiza and Viola Muchaona in the womens showdown while Robert Njerere, Elliot Mupariwa, Brighton Ngunzu and Nyashadzashe Takawira will battle-it-out in the mens challenge.

The Zimbabwe Volleyball Association has improvised a court for Beach volleyball at Highfield community Hall where the national team has been training for the past weeks. The associations secretary general, Ringi Mapondera, explained, volleyball is the same everywhere assuring that the teams inexperience with a real beach will not put them at any disadvantage.

Beach Volleyball is just a name, we are not at all worried of not having a beach here; it is just a matter of meeting the standards of the courts required for the game and what we have set up here (Highfield courts) is ideal for the competition, he said.

The advantage with this game compared to six aside volleyball is that there are only two players; so it will not be so expensive to sponsor such a small team. We are hoping to get corporate support to help develop the game. The Zone VI showpiece will be held later this year in South Africa where eleven teams will battle-it-out for the only ticket available to tour London, next year. The eleven countries will be Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mauritius, Madagascar, Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi and the hosts.