29079: Ayiti Chanje (news) Significance Of Haitis CVC Finishes (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Ayiti Chanje <ayitichanje1804@hotmail.com>

4th September

Significance Of Haiti’s CVC Finishes

By Dahalia Smith

Coach Appeals To Local Haitians For Support

http://www.jonesbahamas.com/


Haiti, participating in its first Caribbean Volleyball Championships last week 
at the Sir Kendal Isaacs Gym, won the bronze medal in the women’s division and 
was sixth in the men’s division.
According to veteran Head Coach Yves Joseph Larrieux, the last international 
tournament Haiti attended was two decades ago. .

"The last time the men’s team traveled to play internationally was in 1986 when 
we went to Santiago. The only reason we came to the CVC this year was because 
we want to make a comeback to interenational volleyball. We only had one month 
and 20 days to prepare for the tournament.

"We only played in a local tournament but it was not high level. That is where 
we scouted for players to make up the national teams," explained Larrieux.

In that light, the finishes by the Haitian national teams were exceptional. 
Larrieux further noted that the country had little faith in the teams’ 
potential and said that their achievements would now push the government to 
endorse volleyball programmes.

"Right now we don’t have a programme. However the third and sixth place 
finishes will be a motivator for the government for funding to establish new 
programmes. I think that the government will be happy. They did not think that 
we could make the finals but they will see when we take back the medal.

"The women could have finished higher because we were missing two of our top 
players, who are playing outside of the country. The men’s sixth place finish 
was good too because the men’s teams played against very good teams," said 
Larrieux in a post championships exclusive interview with The Bahama Journal.

The head coach added that upon the return home of the teams, the intention was 
to begin working with the youth players in an attempt to send a team to the 
Junior Caribbean Volleyball Championships next year.

But attempting to build a junior programme will be difficult according to 
Larrieux.

"This is 2006 and we are still playing on outdoor courts. It is very bad for 
Haiti. We need facilities as well as volleyballs, nets and volleyball tennis," 
he noted.

As a result of this disadvantage, Larrieux is appealing to Haitians living in 
The Bahamas and elsewhere to financially support the local body.

Despite all of the adversities Haiti had to overcome, MacKenzie Allen from the 
men’s team won "The Best Defender" individual award.

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