Volleyball: Sri Lanka to send two teams for Beach version at Youth Olympics

Sri Lanka is hoping to send two Beach Volleyball teams (boys and girls) for the Third Youth Olympics to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 1 to 10, 2018.

The Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation and the Sri Lanka Beach Volleyball Association are planning to improve beach volleyball at school level. 

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has promised to do his best towards this, said Senior Vice President of the Sri Lanka Beach Volleyball Association Commodore Sanath Uthpala.

With this in view, plans are afoot to include beach volleyball for the All Island School Games. 

A request in this direction is to be made by the Sri Lanka Beach Volleyball Association and discussions are to be held shortly with the Director of Sports.

Prior to the April school holidays, plans are underway to stage an Under 18 beach volleyball tournament for boys and girls respectively. 

From this tournament two teams are to be selected for the Under 17 Beach Volleyball Championships to be held in Thailand from May 6 to 8 this year.

Another Beach Volleyball Championship is to be held in Laos from May 20 to 22 and Sri Lanka plans to send two teams (boys and girls) for this event as well.

“We have the capability to reach the top in this sport,” said Comdr. Sanath Uthpala. 

“We must encourage this sport at school level and a three year plan has been put in motion with this in view,” underlined Comd. Uthpala. 

The main target is to focus on 100 senior and junior beach volleyball players in the island.

Plans are also in progress to build artificial beach volleyball courts for each district with the aid of the National Youth Service Council (NYSC). 

The President of the Volleyball Federation of Sri Lanka Erandika Welianga is keenly involved in this project.

Two senior beach volleyball pools for men and women have been formed and training has commenced in earnest with focus towards two international tournaments. 

They are the AVC Volleyball tour Seventh Nakhon Si Open from April 9 to 11 in Thailand and the AVC Beach Volleyball Tour 17th Samila Open (men and women) in Thailand from April 14 to 16. 

The pool is in training in Heyanthuduwa with additional beach training sessions as well.

 Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Women’s Beach Volleyball team has qualified from two stages for the Rio Olympics in August. 

The first stage was when Sri Lanka was crowned champions at the South Asian competition held in Thailand. 

After that Sri Lanka emerged as runners-up at the Central Zone competition in India. The third stage will be in May this year when Sri Lanka participates in Thailand from May 12 to 14 in the AVC Continental Cup. 

If Sri Lanka manages to secure first or second place at this contest, they will proceed to the final stages to be held in Australia from June 20 to 27. 

If Sri Lanka triumphs at the Australian competition they will then qualify for the Rio Olympics.

Sri Lanka is hoping to achieve all this in the coming competitions.