08-JULY-2013
AS U19 PORTUGUESE TEAMS SET FOR
FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The teams that will be representing Portugal in the upcoming FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships at Porto, from 10-14 July, are already defined. [U19 World Championships]

The boys’ team will be formed by José Tomás Silva/Diogo Maia and Bernando Martins/Francisco Pombeiro, who will play the main draw, while Jorge Graça/Artur Resende and Bernardo Cabral e Silva/Dinis Leão will undergo the qualification process.

Diogo Maia (6.12.1995) despite his youth knows well major competitions:
“I’ve been in several international competitions, like two editions of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) Games, one at Africa and other at Portugal, winning both. I’ve also been in the European Championships at Lithuania and in the CEV Beach Volleyball U20 European Championships at Austria, without obtaining the results that we wanted. I believe we’ll do better now in 2013. Here it will be the best teams of this age group. Facing them would be good, but winning would be outstanding.
Most important will be playing at our best and show our value. The work being done at the centre has been great and that’s very important, because only with hard work we can reach the level of some of our opponents. It will be great playing at Porto as the crowd will be there to support the home team. We’ll have the confidence of being around with friends and we hope that the crowd can pack the stadium”.

The girls’ team will be formed by Vanessa Paquete/Gabriela Coelho and Inês Pereira/Maria Tinoco, who will play the main draw; Maria Leonor Lopes/Sílvia Barny and Ana Afonso Martins/Daniela Silva will play the qualifying.

Vanessa Paquete (31.03.1995) refers:
“Our main goal is to digninfy our country by obtaining a good result. We know that other countries have the advantage as they practice throughout the year.
We are working well, two times a day and a lot of physical work to be able to put a good fight for the top places, and I believe that if we continue this line the results will eventually show up. The Brazilian teams are for sure very strong. At the time we will evaluate and find a strategy to help us fight for a good result.
It’s summer time, a lot of people is at the beach and the fact that we’re representing our country will attract them to the stadium”.

The coaching staff is formed by Francisco Fidalgo, João Pedro Vieira and Ricardo Rocha [Video]

Portuguese refs in action

Maria Michelle Ferreira was chosen to referee at the 27th Universiades, which are being held in Kazan, Russia until 17 July, where other Portuguese teams, Sebastião Alves / Fernando Silva (men) and Joana Resende / Tânia Vasconcelos (women) under the orientation of Sérgio Soares, are playing.

More info: www.fivb.org / www.facebook.com/fpvoleibol / www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/Competitions/U19/2013