Since the national league wrapped up in May, local volleyball has endured a frustrating lack of action, mainly due to limited financial might. There was a welcome return to the courts last week, with a one-off competition organised by Briteline Volleyball Academy. Held at Botho University’s indoor hall, the tournament carried a prize pool of P30, 000, shared equally among the eight participating clubs.
Teams were voted in by fans, with Spiking Stars, Mafolofolo, Police and Mag-Stimela making the cut in the women’s division. Continuing their recent rise, Stars strolled through to the final, arresting Police’s progress with a comfortable 3-1 win, before repeating the scoreline against Mafolofolo to claim the title. It was a near identical turn-out in the men’s division, the only difference in the public vote seeing Prisons get the nod ahead of Mafolololo.
True to form, Ditau, as the Cops are fondly known, displayed their dominance, muscling past Mag-Stimela 3-2 in the semis before clinching the championship with a 3-0 pummeling of Prisons in the final. Tournament organiser and Briteline Volleyball Academy Director, Tjiyapo Madeluka, expressed satisfaction with the turnout, adding the event’s success has encouraged them to make it an annual fixture. “Teams came prepared and were hungry for volleyball.
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Spectators also cooperated well with our security team. We learnt a lot about organising major events, so next year will be even better. The only challenge is punctuality: teams arrive late, delay submitting requirements such as team lists, and need constant reminders to warm up and get ready for matches,” griped Madeluka, whose academy trains children from the age of seven up to 21, with the goal of cultivating volleyball excellence.
He further highlighted the academy’s growth, having recently expanded its reach to Thamaga and Moshupa. “The tournament setup showed how serious we are about developing the sport. Our kids got to watch elite players in action, which is a huge motivation. Kids should constantly see how the game is played at the top level so they can set their own targets,” noted Madeluka, adding they are planning another tourney for U/12, U/15 and U/19 players in December.
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