Dominicans resume training ahead of next year’s Olympics

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 22, 2020 – The Dominican Republic Women’s Team, one of the squads qualified to the Olympic Games, has resumed training at the Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Park following a strict protocol to protect the health of the athletes and coaches.

Besides the weight training at the gym, the players have started with light drills designed by Brazilian coach Marcos Kwiek and his staff of assistants.

“After several months of forced stoppage due to the pandemic Covid-19 we have been able to resume training”, said Kwiek. “We have started slowly as the players get into rhythm and shape after many months without touching a volleyball”.

“But you can write that step by step we will get where we want to be as a competitive team once the international season get started,” Kwiek added.

“At this moment we have started our training with some drills of serving, receiving, attacking and blocking placing two and three players on each side of the net in two different courts of the volleyball complex,” Kwiek said. “Then gradually we will improve our intensity and number of players on each side.”

The Dominican Republic Volleyball Federation authorized the resume of training under the conditions established by the National Health Ministry and the Dominican Olympic Committee.

The Dominican Women’s team, known as “The Queens of the Caribbean”, is currently ranked 9th in the world by FIVB.

In January 2020, they qualified to the Olympic Games after winning a four-team tournament against sides from Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico.

In 2019, they won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima and the NORCECA Continental Championship in Puerto Rico plus a silver medal at the Pan American Cup.