January 27, (THEWILL) – Over 50 teams comprising 25 males teams and 26 females will participate in the Yenagoa Invitational Volleyball Challenge 2024 from January 29th to February 4th, 2024 at the Peace Park and the indoor hall of the Samson Siasia Stadium Yenagoa.
Convener of the Yenagoa Invitational Volleyball Challenge, Major General Taritimiye Ayibakuro Gagariga (Retired), disclosed this at a press briefing held in Yenagoa, ahead of the championship.
He said the essence of the championship was for grassroots development with the aim of bringing academies and other local Volleyball teams together for proper guidance on how things are done in the elite division of the league.
According to him, the competition is a result of civil and military relationships with the Armed forces partnering with civilian agencies and private organisations to organise sporting events and other activities, describing it as the armed forces’ way of its corporate social responsibility.
He explained that the Yenagoa Invitational Volleyball Challenge will see 51 teams compete in what he described as the outdoor out-court challenge as well as the Park challenge, which is an open Invitational challenge.
Gagariga asserted that the park challenge has 30 teams in the category, saying that the teams were invited to participate in the competition as a way of showcasing what park volleyball is as the category enters its second edition in the championship.
The convener noted that the first place would go home with N350,000 with the second position also expected to smile to the bank while in the innovation park volleyball category, the winner will smile home with N400,000 for both male and female.
He pointed out that educational grants would be given to identified volleyballers from secondary school to tertiary institutions which, according to him, formed the key part of the Yenagoa Invitational Volleyball Challenge, stating that cheques of N180,000 to N200,000 would be presented to winners on the final day.
He appreciated the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for approving the venues, and commended the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Parker Emmanuel Undiandeye, for sponsoring the military aspect of the competition.
Also, Coach Augustine Odumo, a member of the technical Committee, who spoke on the tournament format, said four groups have been drawn to play on four courts, adding that from the preliminary stages, it would be a league system where all the teams would play to progress to the semi-final, while the park volleyball is on a knockout basis.
Present at the press briefing were Emmanuel Jatto, member, Executive Committee; Coach Augustine Odumo, member, Technical Committee; Wahab Bajehson, member, Venue/Protocol Committee; Coach Akapson Yunana, member, Media/Publicity Committee, and George Ameli, member, Media/Publicity Committee.
