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The long wait to earn an Olympic berth is over

The long wait to earn an Olympic berth is over

COLIMA, Mexico, June 24, 2021. - The long wait to earn one last berth for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is over as teams from eight countries hit the sand on Friday for the NORCECA Continental Cup Finals in Colima, Mexico.

On the eve of the competition players from the participating teams had a training day to get to adjust to the main court prepared at the Morelos Sports Unit of the Coliman Sports Institute.

The announced Schedule is confirmed, with Nicaragua number two team (Jefferson Cascante/Denis López) removed from the competition.

Matches will be Livesrteamed:

http://conceptoweb-studio.com/radio/video/rtv/minisitio/tvstreaming2/tvstream2.html

Mexican Lombardo Ontiveros, who qualified through the FIVB World Tour to the past Olympic Games in Rio with longtime partner Juan Virgen expressed “we are still adapting to live with the Pandemic, it has been long and hard for the entire world, but even so we tried to keep training and had the chance to compete in the past World Tour events in Cancun with not so good results. We are ready to represent Mexico and enjoy the tournament; working together and try to reach the Olympic Games to not only represent our country but NORCECA as well”.

He added that he is grateful for all the efforts by NORCECA and the state of Colima for giving the athletes of our region a chance to make the Olympic dream come true.

Also part of the competition is Natalia Alfaro of Costa Rica who qualified to Rio 2016 in the past NORCECA Continental Cup Finals with Karen Cope; here she’s playing with Mariela Quesada with whom she played her first ever international beach volleyball event here in Mexico, said to by really happy to return to doing what she likes “I am really making out the best of this opportunity to represent Costa Rica with pride. We will be hard, we will face teams who come well prepared, but we are only humans playing the same game and playing well, adding a little luck we might just have the best result”.  

Ben Saxton who also was in the Rio 2016 Olympics via FIVB World Tour said it’s exciting to have another shot “even if it’s more stressful to fight for the last Olympic berth it’s nice to have another opportunity; we’re looking forward to play as well as we can and I believe our chances with the other Canadian team are pretty high to earn the berth to the Olympics.

Hilda Gaxiola, Mexico’s Beach Volleyball Commissioner said that hosting this NORCECA Continental Cup Finals for the third time in a row is a huge responsibility and they are committed to do it well “the fact that this event grants an Olympic berth is a great honor to host, hoping we can celebrate winning the ticket here at home, the table is served and the venue is of the highest level”.