Pinar del Rio to host last NORCECA Qualifier

HAVANA, Cuba, October 30, 2017 – The Final NORCECA Men’s Qualification Tournament Group B to the FIVB World Championship will take place at 19 November Sport Hall of Pinar del Rio 150 kilometers to the west of Havana from November 10 to 12.

Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba will be battling for the last two berths assigned to NORCECA for the event to be held next year in Italy and Bulgaria.

The decision to play this final event was adopted by NORCECA and FIVB due to the absence of Puerto Rico and Cuba in the NORCECA qualification tournament last September in Colorado Springs due to hurricanes Irma and Maria that affected both islands.

Teams from United States, Dominican Republic and Canada, ranked in those positions, earned three of the five berths of NORCECA, while Mexico and Guatemala, the fourth and fifth placed teams will benefit now of a second chance to qualify.

The Group B tournament was originally scheduled for January at Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum in Havana but FIVB requested the celebration at an earlier date since the drawing of lots has been programmed for November 18 and all 24 qualified teams have to be decided by then.

With the Havana Coliseum going now under reparation the Cuban Federation took the decision to have the event in Pinar del Rio where the Sports Hall meets all the international requirements for the competition.