Shot in the arm for volleyball

Volleyball in Sri Lanka will be powered by Lion Stout under an agreement linked between Lion Brewery Ceylon Ltd. and the Volleyball Federation of Sri Lanka.

The partnership is aimed at building a strong national volleyball contingent for the 13th Asian Junior Volleyball Championships scheduled to be held in 2008.

Under the agreement, Lion Stout together with the Volleyball Federation, will set up and manage Volleyball Centres of Excellence, thereby contributing directly towards grooming future prospects for Sri Lanka. Lion Stout has come on board to sponsor the entire operation of the centres, inclusive of coaching, equipment and facilities as well as an allowance for the players and coaches engaged by the centres.

This initial step by the two organisations is not a one off effort but a long term partnership to develop the sport of volleyball in Sri Lanka. In the long-term Lion Stout will support the Federation to upgrade these centres, in an effort to continuously improve the sport.

The progress of the project will be rigorously monitored quarterly by both parties to gauge the extent to which project objectives have been achieved. Information on progress will be used to further improve and develop the project in the future. Centre of Excellence

A Centre of Excellence will be established in each province, to carry out coaching of talented youth. Each centre will take under its wing 16 boys and 16 girls, who will be trained by two qualified coaches appointed to each pool by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation.

In order to be eligible for selection into this coaching program, male candidates should be born on or after 1st January 1989 and female candidates on or after 1st January 1990. The Centres of Excellence will be established in Gampaha, Madampe, Anuradhapura, Matale, Tricomalee, Tangalle, Ruwanwella and Budulla (Haliella) and are expected to commence operations on 5th February 2006.

The progress of the Centres will be evaluated quarterly, during an Inter Centre Volleyball Tournament.