2006 World Championship
World Championship fever hits Barbados (FIVB)
06/14/2005
June 14, 2005 – The third and final 2006 World
Championships first round tournaments in Norceca begin
this week with a men's tournament starting Wednesday and
a women’s tournaments starting on Friday, both
in Barbados.
Bridgetown will host both men’s and women’s tournaments
where the winners of each tournament will advance to the
second round.
In the men’s tournament, Barbados (ranked 50th in the
world) will play, Jamaica and the Netherlands Antilles (both
ranked 64th) and the Cayman Islands and British Virgin
Islands, who don’t have an official world ranking.
Barbados have won the Caribbean title over the last six
years and will start the tournament as favourites, while
Jamaica has held regular practice sessions to ensure
that "as much simulation takes place, like what the team
will experience while in Barbados,” head coach Phillip
Greenland said. Retaining 10 members from last year, a
very optimistic Greenland added that "the team has the
quality that is required to go further".
The last and only time Jamaica beat Barbados was in 1993
in the Caribbean Championship in Trinidad and Tobago in
the preliminary round. Barbados returned to win the
championship against Jamaica.
The winner of the tournament will play Puerto Rico, USA,
Mexico and Guatemala, who finished second in an earlier
first round tournament, in Caguas in August.
Meanwhile, in the women’s tournament, Barbados (ranked
39th in the world) are hot favourites to advance with
the other competitors Anguilla, Dominica and St/ Kitts
not holding an official world ranking.
The winner will also head to Caguas in August to play
Puerto Rico, USA, Canada and Mexico (first round
tournament winners) in the second round.
