AFECAVOL is ready for Youth Olympic Qualification

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, January 31, 2014. - The AFECAVOL Zone Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifier to Nanjing 2014, a two day competition, is set to begin on Saturday at Campo Marte in Guatemala City.

The double gender event with teams from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and host Guatemala, is the fourth and last NORCECA Qualifier granting a direct ticket to the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

Marta Centeno, NORCECA Supervisor, and Arnaldo Sanchez, Director of the Competition, conducted both the preliminary inquiry and the technical meeting held at the Guatemalan Olympic Committee headquarters.

The pool composition was determined by the 2013 AFECAVOL ranking.

In the women’s division El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras will compete in Pool A while Pool B consists of Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama.

 In the men’s division, the Pool A is formed by Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, while Pool B consists of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama.

On Saturday, teams will compete under a Pool Play format where the top teams of each group will move directly to the semifinals while the second and third place teams cross over in the quarterfinals. The semifinals and final matches will take place on Sunday.

Girls’ teams

Costa Rica: Pamela Zumbado/Angie Montero; El Salvador: Roxana Avalos/Alexandra Calderon; Honduras: Mirian Lobo/Sidney Moncada; Guatemala: Natalia Giron/Estefanie Bethancourt; Nicaragua: Katerin Montealto/Camila Robelo;  Panama: Adjanis Arosemena/Keysi Caballero.

Boys’ teams

Costa Rica: Alejando Gonzalez/Sebastian Valenciano; El Salvador: Cristian Vargas/Carlos Rodriguez; Guatemala: Erik Flores/Mark Alvarez; Honduras: Mark Bodden/ Abner Funez; Nicaragua: Denis Lopez/Luis Lopez; Panama: Edwin Diaz/Emanuel Pitty.