AFECAVOL held its annual General Assembly

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, March 5 2022.- The Association of Central American Volleyball Federations AFECAVOL held its virtual General Assembly 2022 with the participation of its seven National Federations members, coordinators and representatives of the different working commissions.

During the Assembly, which was divided in two working sessions, NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, NORCECA General Director Arateide Cáceres and NORCECA Vice President Ariel Sainz, had an active intervention.

In the opening words of the Assembly, AFECAVOL President Félix Sabio González, gave a thankful message for returning to competitions in 2021 “we were the only Zonal Volleyball Association in the world to get back in competition, thanks to the National Federations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua as hosts of the four events we held and to the participation of all countries the members of AFECAVOL”.

Sabio reassured that during 2021 the seven National Federations showed an important commitment and interest to compete, which is a genuine interest in his administration to continue to work in improving Central America’s competitive level.

While Cristóbal Marte expressed that AFECAVOL has been an important axis for the NORCECA Confederation, always being at the forefront of implementing new competing age-groups, showing leadership and that they are capable of overcoming the obstacles for the present year saying “your willingness of fulfilling your 2021 competition calendar, reflects your commitment in a successful volleyball and beach volleyball development, which further commits me in supporting AFECAVOL activities”.

Félix Sabio presented the AFECAVOL Presidency report praising the previous preparation in several virtual meetings held by the thirteen AFECAVOL working commissions who intervened to discuss every organizing detail for all the events. He also highlighted that the competitions were held with all the safety measures, protecting the health of everyone involved and indicated that the registration fees of each competition were granted for the host countries and not for AFECAVOL.

Professor José Luis Jiménez Lao, Administrative Secretary of AFECAVOL, elaborated a Handbook with all the reports and details to be discussed during the Assembly and gave his report objectively which content detailed every 2021 activity, as well as all the working material prepared previously, during and after each of the competitions.

Before listening to the NORCECA President report, the financial statements presented in Felix Sabio’s report were approved; who also indicated the FIVB funding will soon be available to support the region.

Cristóbal Marte indicated in his report the competitions held in 2020 and 2021, saying it is expected to fulfill this year’s competition calendar, motivating AFECAVOL to create the Central American Beach Volleyball Tour and that at each hosting country there should be a NORCECA Tour stage, for which NORCECA will offer financial support.

He also explained the classification systems for the next events of the Olympic cycle and that this year starts with the first phase, being these events the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games of El Salvador and the 2023 Pan-American Games of Santiago.

About the AFECAVOL 2022 competitions, it was approved to organize the Central American U18, U19, U20, U21, U23 and Senior Volleyball Champions, and the U17, U19, U21 and Senior Beach Volleyball Championships; approving the ages to be the same of those used by the NORCECA Confederation.

The calendar and host countries of these competitions will be decided before the end of March, but Belize has asked to host the XIX Women’s U20 Central American Championship from July 15 to 24 and El Salvador the V U23 Men’s Central American Championship.

The thirteen AFECAVOL working commission presented their reports, as well as suggestions and considerations to put in practice.

It is important to underline the FIVB Empowerment Volleyball program that grants financial support during three months to hire coaches, as well as an additional financial aid by NORCECA for coaches’ expenses and that the Central American Federations have the right to apply.

It was also approved to include in the competition regulations the sanctions to which the National Federations will be subject for not attending the events that they previously confirmed, as well as not complying to the competition regulations; approving that the Panamanian Federation must compensate the Guatemalan Federation for not attending the Men’s Senior Central American Championship held past December.

At the closing of the Assembly, Félix Sabio thanked the working commissions for their efforts to not get into competition improvising, expressing that AFECAVOL is advancing “by working together will be able to contribute and manage to bring for Central America the best, the road hasn’t been easy and it will not be yet, but joining hands obstacles are easier to overcome”.

Cristobal Marte ended saying that NORCECA is aware of the financial limitations of AFECAVOL, but hopes it will use the available resources from the NORCECA Confederation, complying with three fundamental facts: development, that countries host zonal, continental and Pan-American events, and the creation of the Central American Beach Volleyball Tour “I motivate you to organize events because competing is the only way that we are going to improve, we want our Confederation to advance”.