The Pan American Cup in the Eyes of Eugenio George

**Interview given in Lima, Peru, June 2013

LIMA, Peru - It was for just a few minutes but they were enough to talk about the memories and exprience of one of the most brilliant minds in modern volleyball.

One of the events that has increased the popularity of volleyball throughout the continent has been the Pan American Cup. There is no question about it. The tournament began to be played in female gender and a few years later Men’s competition took place.

Among many interviews shared by the late Eugenio George Laffita, there is one done in june 2013, in the City of Lima, Peru, just a few minutes after the Awards Ceremony of the Final Match played between The United States and Dominican Republic at the Eduardo Dibos Coliseum.

George Laffita, who was part of the Norceca Control Committee, could see and live how a dream became a solid platform that could benefit the high competition level of a sport where he achieved the greatest honors after being recognized as the Head Coach of the XX Century.

“I think this is a very interesting event, after the first editions, and it is interesting not only from the point of view of the competition itself of the teams that can have the options to classify like the U.S. and Dominican Republic,” George said then.

During that time, the Cuban head coach that passed away in June 1st 2014, at the age of 81, remarked how the incorporation of teams like Argentina and Colombia, among others, had increased the level of performance in an event that improved in terms of quality,  support and organization.

“I think the Cup has contributed a lot when you have to see what it means and you can see our competions in a wider perspective,” He exposed. “Thus this will contribute even more in the development of all the teams that participate and compete at the tournament.”

The joint work between the North, Central, American and Caribbean Confederation as well as the South American Volleyball Confederation increased and is tighter than ever thanks to this competition, that is not only played at the senior level, because a few years later the age group cups in both genders also began to take part of the Norceca and CSV Calendars.

“It is not only about Norceca, it is not only about South America, it is now about the Pan American Union,” George had stated for whom the continuous match up between South American and Norceca teams would be the key for a higher quality standards of volleyball in both genders and both hemispheres.

“That means a change with higher quality teams that will show from a technical and tactical point of view and also from the physical preparation, many interesting things for everybody when talking about development,” he finished.

Today, the Pan American Cup is played in different levels or categories, such as the U18, U20 and U23, as well as the Senior Category in Women, while among Men, the contests are divided in U19, U21, U23 and of course the Senior Competition.

This year the two senior editions take part in Mexico, because along with Women’s competition played in Mexico City and Pachuca, the Men’s tournament is scheduled in Baja California,  the place when the Pan Am Cup began more than a decade ago.