Multipurpose Sports Complex to host OECS Volleyball Championships

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

The new Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town—which opened on June 27 but has been sitting dormant since—will hold its first major regional event in October. The facility which wasn’t fully ready for occupancy because of internal finishing touches held a NBA stars celebrity game five days after it opened and will host the OECS men’s Volleyball Championships when they are held in the BVI for the first time from Oct. 21-24.

The BVI hosted the OECS women’s tournament in 1994 and again in 2000. “We have already laid the ground works and have the venue in place as well as hotel, transportation and meals,” association president Roy Barry said. “All that has been finalized and we are just waiting for confirmation from the teams.”

So far, Barry said St. Kitts and French and Dutch St. Maarten teams have confirmed their participation. “I know that Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan but they have not participated in the OECS tournament for quite a while so I don’t think that will have an adverse effect,” Barry said. “Only St. Lucia who was slightly damaged might have to look at that carefully but I don’t think that’s going to change their plans.”

Barry said St. Vincent has not consistently attended the tournament and he’s not sure of their plans. He also noted that there’s no stringent deadline in place, adding that teams normally tend to register late. “But, we are hoping to have everything in place by the end of September.”

Barry said he hopes the BVI team can be competitive because in the past, they haven’t performed as expected. He said they did extremely well in Antigua last year and he was encouraged by their performance at the Labor Day Tournament in St. Thomas. “I’m hoping that will also carry over to the OECS tournament,” Barry said. “We are hoping that this will bring an interest to more people in volleyball as it is sport that’s dying and we’re hoping to get new people coming in especially new people so that we can have more competitive volleyball in the BVI.”