The Gambian national Beach Volleyball men and female teams have arrived in the Senegalese capital Dakar to take part in the qualifiers of Zone II Beach Volleyball.
The Gambia men’s team have dominated the zone in the last years beating Sierra Leone in the 2022 finals as well as winning two gold medals and One silver Medal in other years. In 2019 the Gambia won African Games Beach Volleyball.
The Gambia reached the final round of the Olympic qualifiers and lost in the semifinals of the continental cup to Morocco in the golden match.
Training Camp
Cape Verde had their training camp in Portugal, Senegal went camping one month ago, same goes for Sierra Leone. The Gambia men’s beach volleyball who missed the World Tour in Mexico spent one month in Qatar for a training camp fully funded by the Gambia Beach Volley Federation & the Qatar Beach Volleyball Federation.
Paris 2024
From Friday, July 26 until Sunday 11 August 2024, the world will gather once again for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Over 10,000 athletes will descend on the host city Paris and the Gambia beach volleyball is hoping to make it to their first Olympics.
The top three men’s and women’s teams from the CAVB Zone 2 qualifiers set for 23 to 27 November will qualify for next year’s CAVB Continental Cup, whose winner will book a ticket to Paris.
Young Squad
“We are intensifying the training since we return from Thailand. It will not be easy to compare our level with Senegal, Cape Verde and Sierra Leone because before it was always between Gambia and Sierra Leone, but other countries have now gone on intensifying training to make sure that they are on a high level. For us, we are having some bit of challenges on our female side. We are rebuilding it. Most of the players got married, and some are on maternal leave. The ones that I am having are young, we are pushing with them, and some have been around the mix for just one year. Maybe the exposure they have in the U21 in Africa & U21 World championship might help. We hoping they capitalize more on their strength” Coach Pa Barrow told the Alkamba Times.
Team captain Sainey Jawo disclosed to the media that It would be a difficult task.
“All teams will keep an eye on us and prepare very well for us. This goes beyond Zone II. Africa at large will prepare for us. They have seen our progress in the game and how serious we have taken beach volleyball. We always prepare mentally and physically”.
“Our main objective is to go and qualify from Zone II because Zone II has never been our problem but it’s sports when you underrate another team’s it becomes difficult for you. Teams are growing and countries are taking the game seriously,” Jawo added.
