Coaches comment ahead of Challengers Cup

PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba, June 4, 2018.- The coaches of the men's teams that will compete at the NORCECA Volleyball Challengers Cup expressed their opinions after the Preliminary Meetings ahead of the event to take place from tomorrow and until Sunday for single spot to the World Final, a qualifier to the League of Nations in 2019.

All the teams have already trained in the Sala 19 de Noviembre of this capital of the most western province, facility revamped to secure its technical quality and attractions, following the profitable experience of the world qualifier in November of 2017, won by Puerto Rico and followed by the hosts, both qualified for the world championship this year in Bulgaria and Italy.

Manuel Acevedo, assistant for many years and debutant as head coach of the Puerto Ricans said that "we bring a combination of young and veterans, the latter with the function of transferring their competitive experience to the newer but always keeping a good group of the League Superior that can even win the tournament."

"First you have to beat the other rivals because they will not give anything away and do the same against Cuba, which has six players who competed in professional leagues. We also have four who played in different countries, and two in the university level of United States My team is motivated, it's going to fight because it has unity and cohesion, and those elements are sometimes more important to achieve a goal."

Nicolás Vives (Cuba) also praised the Puerto Rican side, "that despite having had some renovations is an opponent who knows how to play, we know some, but we're going for the victory, it's the vital thing ... My team is not going to trust, my pupils have matured a lot, I think it won’t happen a repeat of last year here when they lost to Mexico more because of the pressure of their international debut at home, television, family and too many expectations."

"Now the six who returned from the leagues, enjoyed their rest period and have joined the training very well, there are no injuries and with the mind focused on our fundamental goal that are the Central American and Caribbean Games, we are ready for this commitment and they must prove it because in Barranquilla you always have to play well for Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and even Colombia."

Sean Morrison (Trinidad and Tobago) indicated that "we have a mixture of young people and others with more games, we will try to synchronize well in training and take advantage of the possibility of competing, this is what our players need.  We will even fight for the third place because we prepared for the Caribbean Cup in Suriname and heading to Barranquilla between July and August. "

José Enrique Pavón, a Cuban technician who completes a mission in Costa Rica, emphasized on his cast that "it has competitive experience, but not in this category of elders with the exception of three players. It is a young group of 22 years old that prepares fundamentally for the generational change and at the same time the Games of Barranquilla, and they must collide with rivals of higher rank to one day achieve top seats in the Central American area. "

The delegation of Guatemala, delayed by the situation of the volcano that caused the closure of the airport, announced that it should arrive in this city at dawn tomorrow, while all participants were informed of the adjustment of the second game to start at 18: 30 local time, since the daily schedule will be broadcast by the national sports channel Tele Rebelde.