NORCECA President concerned about Veracruz 2014 facilities
 

TIJUANA, México, August 18 2014 - The President North Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA), Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, expressed his concerns about the volleyball facilities in the City of Cordoba for the competition of the Central American and Caribbean Games of Veracruz 2014.

After three inspection visits to the Cordoba Arena the constructions upgrades are delayed according with the time-chart to build and finish the venue.

“There is a big concern from our Confederation NORCECA, and the International Volleyball Federation, because all the upgrades and building works have not been ready as programmed,” Marte Hoffiz stated during a meeting with the NORCECA Supervisors who recently visited Cordoba.

“There haven’t been test events either. This situation increases our concerns and we are really worry about that, because we will arrive in without testing the facilities and without the local technical personnel that will provide proper support,” he added.

According to the last report, there were some tasks pending, like personnel and volunteer training during competition as well as the upgrade of some spaces that must comply with the NORCECA and FIVB standards.

Another pending point is about the playing surfaces orders that must be set by the local organizing committee.

“The NORCECA Volleyball Confederation has a commitment, and that is to donate a complete playing surface for volleyball”, he said.

“However they have to be requested for production and are not delivered as easy as going to buy it in a store. We are in August and the local organizing committee has not submitted any order for the rest of the playing surfaces required for the tournament,” Marte Hoffiz remarked.

“Thus we are really worried because the NORCECA Confederation has an agreement and we also sent a memorandum to the local organizing committee establishing that we will donate a complete surface, that could be the main court to be installed on the arena’s floor,” he added.

“But is very important to order the other surfaces that are four in total,” Marte Hoffiz explained. “The total of playing surface are five, counting on the one to be donated. “Three of them are out on the warming up zone, the other one goes on the Mexicano Gymnasium, another one inside the arena, and we can donate the other floor.”

The rest of the implements like nets, banners, and posts are available, but it is necessary to make preliminary verifications. “This is because if the engineers don’t have the correct posts available on time, they cannot prepare the area to install the net posts,” NORCECA President mentioned.

For such kind of structures only two are the ones approved by FIVB and NORCECA: “Senoh” and “Jinling”, while the floor or official playing surface is “Sport Court”, used in continental championships and Pan American Cups.

For the last two years, the task building force has worked against the clock, the NORCECA representatives said. We are less than 90 days away. The time chart that was established for that purpose has been delayed and the confederation expects the facility to be ready.

“We are the only confederation that makes such kind of inspections. We established permanent calendar of terms and the goals have not been reached on time.”