Mazatlan hosts NORCECA Continental Cup Finals

Mazatlan, Mexico, June 20, 2012 – Teams representing eight countries -each composed by two duos- are ready to battle at the NORCECA Men’s and Women´s Continental Cup Finals, a beach volleyball competition to be held from June 21 to 23 in Mazatlan, Mexico, which grants to the winners in both genders one spot in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Teams of Cuba, Canada, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and hosts Mexico all went through the process of preliminary enquiries and technical meetings on Wednesday.

The teams that finish second and third here still will have a last chance to make it to London at the FIVB World Cup Qualification Tournament to be held in Moscow, Russia from June 27 to July 1, where two more Olympic passes are in offer.

Hosts Mexico men’s, represented by the local stars Aldo Miramontes/Juan Virgen and brothers Ulises and Rodolfo Ontiveros will kick off the quarterfinals playing against El Salvador. The other contests of the round see Puerto Rico against Costa Rica, Cuba facing Guatemala and Canada taking of Nicaragua.

Hosts Mexico, represented by the local heroines Mayra Garcia/Bibiana Candelas and Vanessa Virgen/Martha Revuelta, will start playing Nicaragua in a best-of-five series of matches on Thursday morning. The other quarterfinals series feature Puerto Rico playing against Costa Rica, Canada challenging El Salvador and Cuba entertaining Guatemala.

Canada edged Cuba in a golden-set to grab the top place of the Central Zone of NORCECA Men’s last year in Dominican Republic where Mexico defeated Puerto Rico for the third position.

Costa Rica outdueled Guatemala in a sensational golden set to claim first place at the Inter Zonal Tournament at Montelimar, Nicaragua with Central American teams playing against teams representing countries from the Caribbean. Nicaragua defeated El Salvador for the third position.

Cuba claimed first place in the Central Zone of NORCECA Women´s by outdueling Canada in a golden-set last year in Santo Domingo, where Mexico defeated Puerto Rico for third spot.

Costa Rica blanked El Salvador for the first spot, while Guatemala won a golden set against Nicaragua for third place when teams representing Central America played against those from the Caribbean Zone last February at Malpais, Costa Rica.

Argentina and Mauritius women’s, from South America and Africa, respectively, were the first two countries qualified to the Olympics as Continental Cup winners. The European and Asian events will take place in Moscow, Russia (June 22-24) and Fuzhou, China (June 20-24).

Venezuela and South Africa men’s are already qualified while the European and Asia events will be played in Alanya, Turkey (June 22-24) and Fuzhou, China (June 20-24).

Men’s Teams

Canada-A: Joshua Binstock /Martin Reader

Canada-B: Christian Redman/Benjamin Saxton

Costa Rica-A: Julio Álvarez/Raúl Sandoval

Costa Rica-B: Gilberto Villegas/Alexander Villegas

Cuba-A: Karell Piña/Sergio González

Cuba-B: Yaismel Borrell/Yadrian Escobar

El Salvador-A: Jeovanny Medrano/David Vargas

El Salvador-B: Luis Morales/Carlos Escobar

Guatemala-A: Andy Leonardo/Erick Garrido

Guatemala-B: Julio Recinos/Luis García

México-A: Aldo Miramontes/ Juan Virgen

México-B: Ulises Ontiveros/ Rodolfo Ontiveros

Nicaragua-A: Gerald Umaña/Dany López

Nicaragua-B: Henry Hernández/David Mayorga

Puerto Rico-A: Roberto Rodríguez/Erick Haddock

Puerto Rico-B: Orlando Irizarry/Pablo Guzmán

Women’s Teams

Canada-A: Heather Bansley/Elizabeth Maloney

Canada-B: Annie Martin/ Marie Andree Lessard

Costa Rica-A: Ingrid Morales/Natalia Alfaro

Costa Rica-B: Katherine Quesada/Eugenia Ramírez

Cuba-A: Kirenia Ballard/Onayamis Sinal

Cuba-B: Niriam Sinal/ Ion Canet/

El Salvador-A: Diana Romero/Marcela Ávalos

El Salvador-B: Kathya Vásquez/María Vargas

Guatemala-A: Ingrid López/Lourdes Ramírez

Guatemala-B: Nadia Galán/Ana Villagrán

México-A: Mayra García/Bibiana Candelas

México-B: Vanessa Virgen/Martha Revuelta

Nicaragua-A: Amalia Hernández/Lolette Rodríguez

Nicaragua-B: Elia Torres/Swan Mendoza

Puerto Rico-A: Yarleen Santiago/Yamileska Yantin

Puerto Rico-B: Dariam Avecedo/Tatiana Encarnación.