Jamaicans Hutchinson, Bryan book China ticket in style

Maracas Bay, Trinidad, November 28, 2013 - Jamaican duo Rojey Hutchinson and Shavar Bryan booked the lone available ticket to the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, next year after beating Barbadians Andriy Stapleton and Ahkeem Mayers in their Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Zone NORCECA qualifying final 21-12, 21-12.

It was a well deserved victory for the fifth ranked Jamaicans against the third rated Barbadians in the six-team tournament which began with best of three series on the opening day followed by one match playoffs for the main draw final, and semifinal and final of the losers draw.

Speaking after claiming the gold, Hutchinson was quick to credit the training camp he and team-mate Bryan attended earlier this year in Brazil under the supervision of Brazilian coach Jackie Silva as playing a key role in their success.

He said, “The camp in Brazil helped us a lot in terms of how to play in al different types of weather conditions and improving our overall techniques.

Despite losing the gold medal contest, Stapleton and Mayers are still in with a chance of getting to China next year, but must now compete in the NORCECA Second Round of qualifiers to be held in Puerto Rico next week.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Kareem Moses and Marlon Phillips also kept their hopes of reaching China alive by capturing first place in the losers draw final over Bahamians, Gaege Smith and Rajahl Moxey 21-13, 23-21 and will also travel to Puerto Rico for the Second Round of qualifiers next week. 

Earlier in their one match semifinal playoff, Moses and Phillips brushed aside Suriname’s Riano Gunther and Jonathan Zichem 21-5, 21-15 while Smith and Moxey overcame US Virgin Islands’ Ajai Sweeney and Carlos Juan Rosa 21-17, 21-18.