TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA MORE than 70 budding spikers from various training centres in the country exhibited their skills at the Mini Volleyball Festival in Doha on Monday.

Organised by the Qatar Volleyball Association, this is a joint initiative by the clubs and schools to target under-9 players. The main purpose of the scheme, devised by QVA Technical Director Hussein Imam Ali, is to make the young boys inclined towards the sport.

“We wish to attract young boys to the sport first. That is why we have introduced coloured and soft balls. The courts are small and we just want the players to learn how to serve and return to start with. We also want to focus on their movements,” informed Ali.

The QVA has appointed its trainers at seven schools, falling in the area of different clubs. The coaches imparted the basics of the game so that the growing kinds can develop some levels of skills and game sense.

“The QVA is now having boys of different age groups leading up to the junior level. It is quite important for us to tap the young boys and train them. Now we’ve players in the under-9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and junior (under- 20). With systematic and sustained training programme, we’ll try to build a talent pool through which we hope to get good players for the future junior and senior teams,” Ali added.

Two new centres – Al Shamal and Al Ahli Club - will be added to the next season and we will be involving more than 150 kids in the second training programme,” said Ali.

Dr Ali Mustafa, QVA Technical Secretary, conducted the festival, which concluded with the award presentation to three best coaches and seven best players from each club. The players were quite excited being on the court and during the award ceremony.

Dr Ali informed that the seven participating clubs are: Al Arabi (two teams), Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa, Al Khor, Qatar Sports Club and Al Wakrah.

The QVA coaches are training in the following schools: Al Khaliq Al Arabi School (Al Arabi), Saoud Bin Abdul Rahman Independent School (Wakrah), Ibn Seena Independent School, Al Khor Independent School (Al Khor), Al Qadisiya School (Al Rayyan), Abdullah Bin Turkey School (Al Sadd) and Al Rashid School (Qatar Sports Club).

Khalid al Boenain, QVA Board Member, was the chief guest at the festival and gave away the prizes.

Hussein Imam Ali was also present on the occasion.

Yahya Zakaria (Al Arabi), Mohammad Yousef (Al Wakrah) and Hossam Heykal (Al Rayyan) were the three coaches to have been honoured for their hard work.

The best seven players from different centres were: Mohammad Abdul Fateh (Arabi), Saleh Mohsin Ali (Wakrah), Abdulla Sameer (Gharafa), Omar Nasser (Al Khor), Mohammad Fahim (Rayyan), Ali Sayed (Sadd) and Malik Nabeel (Qatar SC).