Relief to Dominica at NORCECA Qualifier

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago, October 13, 2017. – A moment to bring relief to the members of the Dominica national team during the NORCECA Group C Qualifier in Trinidad & Tobago was taken before their first match.

The Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs of Trinidad & Tobago, Daryll Smith, alongside Mushtaque Mohamed NORCECA Vice-President and Nicole Selvon President of the National Federation, expressed their deepest sympathy to Dominica’s players and staff while coming to the competition after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

Mohamed addressed players and spectators at the National Cycling Centre in Port of Spain, saying “in moments of such tragedy it is our moral obligation to hand out a helping hand to the ECVA representatives as team and friends of volleyball join efforts to gather hampers of food items as a small expression of our compassion”.

The NORCECA Group C qualifier is the only competition of the three group qualifier event the unites all the zonal areas, with Mexico representing the Central zone, Costa Rica the AFECAVOL zone, Dominica as ECVA representatives and the CAZOVA zone represented by the hosting country Trinidad & Tobago.

The efforts of Dominica with the unconditional support of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation to come to this tournament were enormous; “after extreme conditions in Dominica, players are competing for a once in a life time opportunity that could not been taken for granted; we are humble to have them here” added Mohamed.

Minister Daryll Smith and Trinidad & Tobago’s captain Krystle Esdel were in charge of handing a symbolic food hamper to Ana Maria Xavier, captain of Dominica team.

Shari Pascal, member of Dominica’s team also addressed the attendants “we are survivors; we are recovering from losing everything. We are really emotional to be here. Maria changed our lives forever. Be sure that we will rise again, we are strong people and we hope to not experience any like this again”.