Volleyball sets target

 THE Papua New Guinea Volleyball Federation has set itself the goal of winning medals in the men’s and women’s divisions at the coming Pacific Games.   

National coaching director Marty Collins said the extended squad for both teams was being put through a demanding training camp in order to narrow down their squads of 26 men and 25 women. 

A women’s selection trial was held in Port Moresby over the weekend. 

The players who took part in the camp were identified from previous national championships, the Pacific Mini Games in 2013, the PNG Games last November and some from club competitions. 

Collins, a former Australian volleyball representative, said they had already trimmed the women’s train-on squad and would make an official announcement at the end of the month.  

Collins and other local coaches will meet the federation’s selection committee this week to finalise the squad. 

He said the camp was productive — with the players working on their individual skills, teamwork and fitness. 

“With all data and statistics collected from the camp, and physical data from the High Performance Training Centre, we will be able to narrow down the squad to 16,” Collins said. Since Collin’s appointment as coaching director last year, he has introduced internationally-accepted systems to bring the players up to speed on techniques, skills and training methods. 

He said he was hoping the new systems would help the women’s side dethrone the Tahitians in July. 

“The Tahiti women’s team is known as the queen of the Pacific in volleyball. 

“We are wary of them because of their achievements in the sport over the years but now we have a strategy in place and I am sure we can do it,” he said.

Collins said most of the players from the other Pacific Island countries had height and size but lacked speed. 

“We will have to play fast.

“That means we will have to play our own style of volleyball,” Collins said.  The men’s team will have its selection camp over the weekend.