Tokyo, August 21, 2006: Costa Rica, ranked 33rd in the world, will be making their debut in the World Championships women's event. The 'Ticas' have been drawn with Japan, Kenya, Korea, Poland and Chinese Taipei in Pool A, based in Tokyo. Here, the president of the Costa Rica Volleyball Federation (Fecovol), William Corrales, takes part in a question and answer session.
Q: With qualification for the 2006 World Championships in Japan, what will this mean for the development of volleyball in Costa Rica?
A: The windows have been opened. We have the Willis sisters (Angela and Verania) playing overseas, and Karen Cope has an offer to play in Switzerland next year. After the World Championships more players could go overseas because the eyes of the trainers from all over the world will be on us. We will have more opportunity to export players. We are a long way from saying that volleyball is professional in Costa Rica, but we are taking the first steps towards this important concept.
Q: What can the world expect from Costa Rica in the World Championships?
A: We are going to play with joy, enthusiasm and dynamism. I believe we can beat Kenya and Chinese Taipei, and against established powers such as Korea and Japan we want to give them an excellent match. We must have maximum motivation to do that.
Q: And what does the Fecovol president himself expect to see from his own team?
A: We are in the process of improvement, but we are going with players who have good technical skills and who have no need to feel inferior to any rivals. The basic thing is to cause a pleasant surprise. We will surpass 15 points in every set off every team, and why not more?
Q: How are the players feeling as they prepare for the World Championships?
A: They must become stronger from a psychological point of view. I have felt that in important matches we have arrived at points 8, 16 and 20, but then comes a void because they do not feel they can win the set, and they fall. We must continue to play against strong teams such as Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, because we can keep learning and close the gap. The days of losing 25-5 are over, so we are progressing.
Q: Apart from competing, what other benefits can the World Championships bring to Costa Rica?
A: Outside the gymnasium it is necessary to attract the attention of the FIVB, so we can develop volleyball in our country. We must achieve more qualification for world events; we must hold more courses for coaches, referees and leaders based on the contacts we make. We will try to project the image of a fresh country, pleasant to visit, so that we can have more exchanges through our sport.
Q: What are the plans to help the players acclimatise to the other side of the world?
A: We have tried to stretch our financial resources so that we arrive in Japan, or in South Korea, eight days before our first match. That means we need to obtain accommodation, meals and interchanges with local clubs and national teams who are not in our group at the World Championships.
William Corrales, president of Volleyball Costa Rican Federation.
Corrales speaks with the journalist of Costa Rican National Team
