Volleyball comp into week four

THE Tanobada Botai Kuriu Volleyball association (TBL-Kuriu) in Hanuabada village headed into its fourth week of competition on Saturday despite the heavy rains over the weekend.
Association president Tea Mea told The National that the competition had tipped off straight after New Year with the aim of engaging communities within the Kuriu-Elevala area.
“We’ve been running with four teams per division with only four divisions, a senior and junior division for both the men and women,” he said.
“It has been about three weeks into the new season.
“We’re only part of a small group of sporting activities that are running in our part of the village and we want to make sure that we have something that brings our people together.
“There are a lot of social disorder and law and order problems in the village.
“So we decided to come up with a volunteer group to find ways to help address these issues while engaging the community and volleyball is one way.
“It has been a positive change and after seeing the change in behaviour in our young people, we decided to keep the momentum going with a competition after the festive period.
“Youths have shown more respect towards everyone in their communities and we’d like to encourage more of this behaviour.”
Mea said volleyball was not a popular sport in Hanuabada compared with rugby league and cricket, however, it was slowly picking up with more interest from locals.