Cape Town - South Africa's first ParaVolley team is ready to showcase its talents and take on Africa’s best.
The nine-man team - seven from Western Cape and two from Limpopo - will fly the flag for the first time internationally. On Sunday, the team will head to Rwanda to take part in the five-day 2017 ParaVolley Africa Sitting Volleyball Championships in Kigali.
“Excitement is in the air for the team and the sport here in general. It’s the first African event we are taking part in, the championships and will put us on the international ParaVolley map.The staple sport at the Paralympics for over 35 years, and shows steady growth. South Africa now has approximately 11 adult clubs and even more youth teams,” said South African coach and team member Anton Raimondo.
Raimondo explained that the rules are similar to those of able-bodied volleyball, with some changes.
“It is played by two six-person teams on 10m by 6m court, we use arms to move and slide around. Players have to keep a portion of their torso in contact with the ground at all times. The net is 1.15m high for men and 1.05m for women. Games are usually decided in a best of five sets format. The first team to reach 25 points (with a two points or more lead) wins a set.”
Raimondo said some of the players come from challenging backgrounds but the sport encourages them and gives them hope. He hopes the sport will expand to other provinces.
“One of the players Leonardo Gladile lives with his wife and his two young girls on the outskirts of a squatter camp in Khayelitsha. He and his wife have not been able to find work and have been surviving for years off disability grants.”
Gladile said: "Despite huge difficulties, I share my passion for the sport with others and encourage potential players from the townships to join the game too.This is more than just a game and exercise. Sitting Volleyball gives hope and purpose.”
He is confident the sport will expand to more provinces. “We have been approached by the Eastern Cape to help develop the sport in their province. If we get a province or two on board every year, we can get the whole nation involved fairly soon.”
The team will compete against some of Africa’s best teams, including Rwanda, Egypt and Kenya. The top two men’s and women’s teams from the championships will automatically qualify for the 2018 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships to be held in July 2018 in the Netherlands.
Current world champions from 2014 are Bosnia and Herzegovina in the men’s game, and China in the women’s game.