Credit: vanuatuvolleyball.com
Majabelle Lawac (left) and Sherysyn Toko in action at the Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships Photo: Vanuatu Beach Volleyball
Vanuatu aims to have a team at the 2024 Olympic Games in beach volleyball.
It won’t be easy as the host teams must finish in the top two at the Continental Cup for the Oceania Zone from September 1-3 in Port Vila, which serves as an elimination tournament for the Games.
Then any successful team – there will be men’s and women’s team competing at the cup – must finish in the top two in the Asian Cup next year.
A busy calendar for the rest of the year is in place for the top South Pacific beach volleyball nation.
Vanuatu Volleyball Federation president Debbie Masauvakalo said the focus this year will be on ensuring the teams qualify for the Olympics and remain the top team in the Pacific at the Pacific Games in November.
“That’s one of our previous aims is to qualify for the World Championships in Mexico in October, the Olympics qualifiers and then come back for the Pacific Games. So yes we have an action-packed competition calendar for our girls, as always,” she stated.
Masauvakalo told RNZ Pacific athletes will appear in several international events such as the World Beach Volleyball Games in Bali, Indonesia on August 6-12, the Asian Tour Event in Taipei on August 18-22, the World Championships in Mexico in October before the 2023 Pacific Games in November.
The Vanuatu beach volleyball team in China Photo: Vanuatu Beach Volleyball
Asian outing
Their current women’s team participated at the Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in China in the past weekend.
Vanuatu Volleyball media officer Jill Scanlon said the pair lost two close matches after winning their first round match on Friday, June 24 and missed out on making the round of 16.
Sherysyn Toko and Majabelle Lawac lost to Australia 15-21 and 17-21 in their final pool match.
They had started with a fine result, defeating Kazakhstan 21-15, 21-15 in two sets, but went down 16-21, 13-21 to China in their second game.
Scanlon said the two had done very well and had gained much from the international experience.
“They were fairly tight contests so our girls got knocked out, which was unfortunate. They didn’t make the round of 16. But again, really good practice for them,” Scanlon said.
“We like to get them a lot of international experience. They’ve done very well in everything they’ve competed for this year. So, it was just another…
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