NORCECA Volleyball Confederation President Visits Belize

BELIZE CITY, Belize, January 24, 2025. – The President of the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA, Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, is in Belize this weekend to chair the General Assembly of the Central American Volleyball Association AFECAVOL.

During his visit, Marte Hoffiz engaged in four pivotal meetings aimed at strengthening the development of volleyball and beach volleyball in Belize, and to advocate for increased investment and support for Belize’s national volleyball programs, accompanied by Mrs. Arateide Cáceres, General Director of NORCECA and Mr. Allan Sharp, President of the National Volleyball Federation of Belize.

ALBUM FOTOS: PRESIDENTE DE NORCECA VISITA BELICE

The first meeting was with the Prime Minister of Belize, Honorable John Briceño, in which the discussions centered on government support for infrastructure and the overall development of volleyball in the country.

He also met with the Honorable Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports, and Mr. Linsford Castillo, Chairman of the National Sports Council. Also present was Mr. Marvin Ottley, Deputy National Director of Sport, to address the need for sports facilities and resources.

Marte Hoffiz had talks with Ms. Nicole Usher, CEO, and Mr. Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism, exploring opportunities for promoting volleyball and beach volleyball as part of sports tourism initiatives.

Another meeting was held at the Belize Olympic Committee, where Marte Hoffiz engaged with Mr. Giovanni Alamilla, Vice President, and Mr. Arturo Vasquez, Treasurer, to discuss strategies for leveraging Olympic support to enhance volleyball programs.

The meeting was also attended by the President of AFECAVOL, Félix Ambrosio Sabio, and the Secretary General of AFECAVOL, Carlos Enrique Santis.

During these meetings, Marte Hoffiz highlighted the need for government intervention to support the National Volleyball Federation of Belize. “We are doing our part; we have provided Belize with three volleyball floors and are ready to provide more. However, there are no facilities to install them for use,” he emphasized.

NORCECA’s primary mission is to supply Belize with the necessary tools to engage young people in sports, fostering the development of productive citizens. “Our Confederation is dedicated to developing the sport, but we need the government to collaborate by creating the infrastructure and support systems to make this vision a reality,” he stated.

Marte Hoffiz expressed NORCECA’s commitment to partnering with Belizean authorities to advance the sport. “We need to join forces and work together to create the know-how and infrastructure necessary for volleyball and beach volleyball to thrive in Belize. This is a joint venture that requires everyone’s effort.”

NORCECA remains steadfast in its mission to develop volleyball across the region and looks forward to continued collaboration with Belizean authorities to open the sport’s full potential.