15-MAY-2013
CTARVP: NATIONAL TEAMS IN ACTION
 

The Training Centers for High Performance in Beach Volleyball (CTARVP) implementation in 2013 will involve the U-18, U-20 and Senior levels, both men and women. [2013 Calendar]

At the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP) facilities, during the National Team workout, Francisco Fidalgo, Head of CTARVP explained the investment made on the creation of Beach Volleyball National Teams:

“The FIVB competitions are extremely difficult, therefore the FPV’s option is to put together good teams to enter the European competitions, mainly in Satellite Tournaments which have an open access, with the intent of the athletes gain points and experience for the future. We have some players with the potential to participate in international competitions that we will team up with more experienced players. This project is yet at the beginning and hopefully it will extend throughout all summer and throughout all season, in the next year”.

The first international participation is already scheduled to the CEV Montpellier Satellite, from June 5-9.
“There’s two registered teams for this competition, that is the project’s first experience, and where the strategy of teaming up a young prospect with a more experienced player will be used, in order to gain points for the ranking and to make the young players acquainted with international level events, in one hand, and to show Portugal’s comeback to BV international competitions in the other”.

Other very important competitions will follow…
“By the end of the month we will play the Youth Olympic Games Qualification, which comes in bad timing, as it’s too soon for the students and for those who also play indoors. Then we will attend a competition of great importance for our country, the U-19 World Championship [July 11-14], which will be an amazing opportunity for our teams to compete and to enter the Main Draw. We are also registered to compete at the U-23 World Championship at Poland from June 5-9”.

Sebastião Leão is one of the Portuguese beach volleyball top prospects. In 2010, teaming up with Fernando Silva, achieved a surprising 17th rank at the U-19 World Championship held at Porto. The experience led him to put all his chips on beach volleyball.

“We’re doing a sustainable work and the fact that this project intent to team up young with experienced players is a great way to practice and play, and I believe that we’ll achieve good results with that. I’m betting on beach volleyball and hopefully I’ll work out all year at CTARVP. Beach volleyball is growing; there are more athletes every day, which is good, although we have the need to be sponsored, due to the financial issue. Todd Rogers (USA) is my role model”, stated Sebastião Leão.

Portugal is to play Austria, France and Liechtenstein for the U-18 European Continental Cup Pool D, a competition that qualifies for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, which will be held at the Chinese city of Najing.

More info: www.fpvoleibol.pt / www.cev.lu / www.fivb.org