Santiago, Chile, January 9, 2020 - On Tuesday, the Chilean men's team had its last training session in the afternoon before training at the Arena Monticello ahead of the CSV Men's Tokyo Volleyball Qualification tournament which begins in Santiago on Friday.
After the practice, the entire national team, led by Captain Dusan Bonacic, was presented to members of the press alongside coach Daniel Nejamkin, at the official launch of the tournment that will also feature the teams of Venezuela, Peru and Colombia.
Also present at the ceremony were the president of the Chilean Volleyball Federation, Jorge Pino Madrid, the Minister of Sport, Cecilia Pérez, the president of the Chile Olympic Committee, Miguel Ángel Mujica, the Technical Delegate of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), MarcoTúlio Teixeira and the general manager of Gran Arena Monticello, Héctor Flores.
After playing three friendlies against Cuba in Havana and another three against the Dominican Republic in Rancagua and Santiago, the Chilean national team will begin the most important tournament in its history.
Coach Nejamkin said: “We are very focused on achieving the goal we set ourselves. A few years ago, when we lost the option to qualify for Rio 2016 we wondered when we were going to have a new opportunity and now here we are, like three other countries, with the same possibilities to qualify for the Games. We will do our best in every ball and in every situation we face.”
“We are pursuing a dream, a dream that any athlete has. We are going to leave everything on the court to thank all the people who have supported us in this process,” said Chile captain Dusan Bonacic.
The three other teams scheduled to play in Chile arrive in Santiago on Wednesday. Venezuela, Peru and Colombia will move directly to Monticello for their first official practice on Thursday.