The Vanuatu Women’s Beach Volleyball team is all set to start their 2022 Commonwealth Games campaign this weekend.
As the 2018 Bronze medal winners, BV Team Vanuatu will be coming up against familiar opponents in Canada and Australia as well as facing possible threats from traditional rivals New Zealand and even the host nation England.
Miller Pata and Sherysyn Toko have had a strong lead-up to the event, performing well in their European FIVB tournaments over the last two months, culminating in a gold medal win at the Beach Pro Tour tournament in Leece, Italy.
Coach Steve Anderson, formerly head coach for the gold medal winning Canada team in 2018, has seen to it that the training and competition practice has been solid in preparing for Birmingham 2022.
The Beach Volleyball competition will run from 30 July to 7 August and will take place in the heart of the city of Birmingham.
There will be 12 teams participating in both the Women’s and the Men’s competitions with the 2022 event marking beach volleyball’s second appearance at the Commonwealth Games, after the sport made its successful debut four years ago on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Women’s Beach Volleyball
| CGAs | Qualification Pathway | |
| 1 | Canada | Direct Qualification – World Ranking |
| 2 | Australia | Direct Qualification – World Ranking |
| 3 | Vanuatu | Direct Qualification – World Ranking |
| 4 | New Zealand | Direct Qualification – World Ranking |
| 5 | England | Host |
| 6 | Cyprus | Direct Qualification – World Ranking |
| 7 | Scotland | Continental Representation – CEV |
| 8 | Trinidad and Tobago | Continental Representation -NORCECA/CSV |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | Continental Representation – AVC |
| 10 | Solomon Islands | Continental Representation – Oceania |
| 11 | Ghana | Continental Representation – CAVB |
| 12 | Kenya | Bipartite Invitation |
The competition is set to be fierce with Australia and Canada renewing their rivalry having battled it out in both the men’s and women’s Gold Coast 2018 finals, New Zealand and Vanuatu looking to add to their Commonwealth bronze medals and the addition of newcomers Ghana, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, South Africa and Gambia.
Vanuatu is in Pool C in the Women’s competition with England, Solomon Islands and Scotland and will play Scotland in their first match on Sunday 31 July.
A highlight for both the BV team and Team Vanuatu overall will be the Opening Ceremony which will take place on Thursday evening (UK time).
Miller Pata will be a part of the leading athletes marching into the stadium, in support of flag bearer and para-athlete Elie Enock, alongside judoka Joe Mahit.
With a 10-hour time difference between the UK and Vanuatu, the BV competition will be taking place late in the day and overnight for family and friends at home.
VVF will keep all Team Vanuatu results updated on its Facebook page.
(Featured photos supplied/Marius Metois)
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