Soccer And Volleyball Women Take On The World

New Zealand Universities’ Soccer And Volleyball Women Take On The World

New Zealand Universities’ Women’s Soccer and Women’s Volleyball teams have formally submitted their applications to compete at the 21st World University games this year in Beijing August 18 - September 4.

“We will be actively lobbying the International University Sports Federation to ensure our teams have a very good chance of selection for the Games”, said University Sport New Zealand President Darel Hall.

“Unfortunately there are only 8 places for Women’s Soccer and 24 for Women’s Volleyball. We will access the relationships built up with the international university sporting community over the last few years, including last year’s forum in Mexico.

“We are fortunate that New Zealand and China has a very good relationship. The overseas flame to light the Games was lit at Massey University Palmerston North on January 3 this year. A successful World University Games is seen as an important step for the Chinese to gain the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

“The Women’s Volleyball team competed at the 1997 World Student Games in Majorca, Spain reaching 11th of the 16 team event. While both the soccer and the volleyball teams will not be finalised until after the Usit BEYOND University Games this Easter, it seems clear that one or two members of the New Zealand Women’s team will be in the NZU Volleyball team.”, Mr Hall said.

The Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (International University Sports Federation) was founded in 1949. It has membership of 129 National University Sports Federations.

The record figures at a World Student Games are 6,009 participants in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in 1999 and 162 countries in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1995.

“It will be a fantastic effort if we can secure the involvement of these two teams in such a prestigious event”, Mr Hall concluded.