By Moorosi Tsiane
MASERU — Redskins who were crowned 2013 A Division volleyball champions, will hoist the nation’s flag when they compete in this year’s Zone VI Club Championships, set for December 16 – 21.
The tournament will see teams from 10 African countries vying for a spot at the annual Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) interclub championships.
Lesotho Volleyball Association public relations officer, Letsatsi Ntsibolane, said Redskins, who won the competition in 2010, will be joined by LDF VI, Mahlaseli and Green Spikes.
He said this is a very essential competition and as such they expect a lot of commitment and hard work from all the teams that have qualified for the competition.
“This is one of the biggest competitions in the region and we are expecting to see a lot of commitment from all our participating teams,” Ntsibolane said.
According to Ntsibolane the local teams stand a better chance of winning the competition because most have competed in the tournament a number of times.
He said he is confident this time they will not only go there to make the numbers but hopeful bring home the glory and make Basotho and volleyball fanatics proud as it has been a long time since the Lesotho teams won that competition.
Ntsibolane told the Lesotho Times that most of the local teams that qualify for the competition are often hindered by financial hurdles hence opt out of the competition at the eleventh hour.
“Our teams face a huge challenge when it comes to finances, some even end up pulling out of the tournament on the last minute due to lack of sponsorships,” said Ntsibolane.
He therefore urged the institutions that have volleyball teams to offer support, financing their up keep and also release players for international tournaments.
