Players who failed to turn up for the men’s volleyball trials in Lautoka last Saturday have missed out on selection to represent the Fiji team in the 2013 Pacific Mini Games.
A poor turnout was recorded during the trials at the Sugar City multi-purpose courts prompting national coach Kenneth Lidise to take a strong stand.
“We gave a three-day trial for the men and had two days in Suva and one day in the west,” Lidise said.
“For those who missed the trials, they have missed out on selection for the Pacific Mini Games.”
Meanwhile, Lidise believes the lack of indoor facilities were a drawback for the development of the sport in the Western Division.
“The standard of volleyball in Suva is higher than compared to the Western Division and that is because in Suva we are fortunate to have a lot of indoor facilities,” Lidise said.
“Unfortunately we do not have that privilege in the Western Division. In the west the players have to tackle a lot of elements like the rain and sun.
“However, there is a lot of interest in the west. There are many young players. If the opportunity is given to develop them then their standard can come up to that of Suva.”
The 2013 PMG will be held in Wallis & Futuna from September 2-12.