ALL is set for Tanzania to once again host the Regional Beach Volleyball championship this time around serving as the Africa Tokyo 2020 Olympic Group B qualifiers’ second round competition.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers Group B competition is scheduled to be held from March 26 to 30 at Coco Beach in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania Amateur Volleyball Association (TAVA) chairman Patrick Mlowezi told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam yesterday that preparation for the continental level event is on a top gear.
This comes a few months after the Confederation of Africa Volleyball (CAVB) honoured Tanzania to host women category of Group 6 showdown at Mbalamwezi Hotel of Dar es Salaam from January 9th to 13th, in which Tanzanian team lost to giants Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
Mlowezi said it is a big honour for them to host the men’s championship and it will serve them well towards their goal to play at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The men’s teams made by David Neeke, who pairs with Ford Edward and second team Shukuru Ally made by Alhaji Said, clinched Pool 7 Africa Zone V Beach Volleyball champion’s title at the event held at Lido Beach in Entebbe, Uganda.
Tanzania beat all their opponents include the fourth-placed hosts Uganda, Sudan (third placed) and second placed Kenya with two top teams earning second round slots.
But the teams, according to Mlowezi, has even big task at Group B as battle will also involve the winners of pool 9 Zone Vi South Africa, Ghana (Pool 3 Zone iii), Niger (Pool 4 Zone iii) and underdog Sudan who enter as best loser from Pool 7 Zone V.
He noted that they will unveil the national team squads soon and that will enter a residential camp at Mbalamwezi Hotel in the City under national team coach Alfred Selengia.
Selengia who is also a TAVA general secretary was recently appointed by CAVB as coaches instructor in Africa.
“Our idea to host this event aims to give our teams home ground advantage since we have talented and committed players, but at this level we also rely on sponsors and sports well-wishers support to our teams to excel,” he said.
lowezi added the door is open for those wishing to support the team and event that comes here in March, 2020.
He said that 20 teams including Tanzania have qualified to the second round pooled into four groups of five teams. Two teams from each group will qualify for the final Olympic slots.
