HAVANA, Cuba. January 20, 2005,- Nothing better to start the celebration of the centennial of volleyball in Cuba than a good pair of tournaments gathering the cream of the crop in both genders. 

On January 21 starts the National League with the participation of four women teams representing Havana, Camaguey, Santiago de Cuba and Sancti Spiritus and five men squads from Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara, Matanzas and Pinar del Rio. The opening ceremony will be at the Kid Chocolate Pavilion in the legendary Paseo del Prado of the Cuban capital. 

The schedule of competition will be composed by three rounds of play until March 19. The top two teams of each gender will go to a best of five playoff on March 24-28 also in the same venue. 

The organizers have also scheduled matches in Sancti Spíritus, Pinar del Río, Camagüey, Villa Clara, Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba. 

You only have to take a look to the different roster to conclude that Havana is the heavy favorite in the women’s tournament. 

Under the guidance of Eider George Lafita, the brother of Eugenio, the team has among its main cornerstones the Olympians Nancy Carrillo, Rosir Calderon, Maibelis Martinez and Anniara Munoz plus Yusleidis Herrera and Yusidey Silie, supported by Rachel Sanchez Perez, a youngster just 16 years-old who is considered a raw diamond. 

The squad is complemented by Yulierbis Valier, Line Ortiz, Liannes Castaneda, Bisel Cabrera and Yurelkis Pacheco. 

The Camaguey side coached by Idalberto Valdes will have Daimi Ramirez and Liana Mesa, bronze medalists in Athens, and Yanelis Santos and is projected as the strongest rivals for the Havana girls despite the fact that the rest of the players lacks experience. 

The other members of the side include Natali Grinan, Noris Leidis Acea, Yeniset de la Caridad Gonzalez, Dalina Bocourt, Lisbet Arredondo, Kenia Carcaces, Katia Guevara and Ana Yiliam Cleger.