President Bridgewater welcomes ECVA Delegates

ST KITTS & NEVIS, March 4, 2018 - St. Kitts & the Nevis National Olympic Committee President, Alphonso Bridgewater addressed the delegates of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) at the Ceremony to mark the Opening of ECVA's Annual General Meeting, convened at The Royal St. Kitts (Jack Tar) Hotel, Frigate Bay, St. Kitts.

Mr.  Bridgewater welcomed the delegates representing the 14 countries from the English, French and Dutch speaking Eastern Caribbean and Bermuda. 

He was particularly commendable of Mr. Glenn Quinlan who not only serves as President of the ECVA but also is a NORCECA Vice President and FIVB Board Member. Mr. Quinlan is also the Treasurer of the SKNOC/CGA.

President Bridgewater also took the time out to congratulate the SKAVA on the attainment of its 30th Anniversary of its affiliation to the FIVB, having been formally established in 1988.

President Bridgewater further referenced the presence of three other persons in the room, namely, NORCECA President and the International Volleyball Federation 1st. Executive Vice President, Cristobal Marte Hoffiz , Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, The Honorable Shawn K Richards and the Volleyball Coach Instructor Prof. Joaos Moraes de Campos (Coach Cafe)

In the case of Coach Cafe, President Bridgewater was extremely complimentary of the partnership between the national federation (SKAVA), the SKNOC, NORCECA and the Government (through the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture - all of whom has been instrumental in ensuring his presence on St. Kitts and Nevis. In large measure, the recent successes and exploits of both the female and male beach volleyballers, in particular, may be attributed to the impact on conditioning, techniques, tactics and discipline inculcated by Prof. Joaos de Campos.

President Bridgewater took the time to congratulate and challenge the male beach volleyball athletes who have qualified to participate in the Commonwealth Games to be held in The Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, April 4-15, 2018. What is more, both the male and female beach volleyballers have already qualified to particpate in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, July 2018.

Funding from the SKNOC has ensured that the players will be accompanied by their coach throughout these Games and for the intervening periods through to November 2018. Whilst all this is happening, the SKNOC will remain an instrumental partner in ensuring that the services of Coach Cafe are utilized in the building of capacity re volleyball among teachers and students at the schools' level.

President Bridgewater expressed his personal and the SKNOC's gratefulness for the continuous support for initiatives that comes from Deputy Prime Munister and Minister of Sport Shawn Richards who will be present at the Commonwealth Games in The Gold Coast.

It is FIVB Vice President Cristobal's very first visit to SKN. However, he is well known by SKNOC and Volleyball operatives in SKN as a result of his sustained support for, commitment to the development of the discipline of 'all things volleyball' in the NORCECA region, small countries in particular. The contribution of the Sports Courts Volleyball Surface and volleyball equipment, specially for the school volleyball program to the Ministry of Education, collaboration in the acquisition and financing of the services of the Volleyball Instructor, Prof. Joaos Moraes de Campos, are cases in point. "This man's word is his bond", stated President Bridgewater

Bridgewater, who is also President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of the Eastern Caribbean States) took the opportunity to announce the commitment of ANOCES to the eventual hosting of an ANOCES GAMES.  In this regard, the SKAVA has prepared and presented a proposal to its parent SKNOC to host the innaugural ANOCES Beach Volleyball Championship in July 2018 in St. Kitts. The SKNOC has accepted the proposal and anticipates the approval of ANOCES will be forthcoming. Hence, an invitation was extended there and then for ECVA Delegates to return to SKN in July 2018 for the innaugural ANOCES Beach Volleyball Championship.

As a member of the CANOC (Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees) Executive, Bridgewater spoke of the introduction of the CANOC Week of Activities, March 4-10. He pointed out that the Hosting of the ECVA Annual General Assembly constituted the initial activity of the celebration locally.

In his capacity as an Executive Member of the Pan American Sports Organization, PASO, Bridgewater spiked the interest of the delegates when he spoke to the availability of US$200,000 to each for the PASO/NOC's Infrastructural and Olympic America Projects. The Infrastructural Project is geared towards facilitating, complementing the construction of office space for NOC's which are still without an office if their own or for completing officed started but unfinished/ including furnishing or simply enhancing what is.