DR volleyball grabs slot to play in the Paris Olympic Games

[Dolores]

The Dominican Republic’s women’s volleyball team (Las Reinas del Caribe) defeated China in Ningbo, China to become one of the first to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Team Dominican Republic accumulated a 6-1 win-loss record and 17 points in Group A in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Road to Paris. The tournament is taking place 16 September to 8 October 2023 in different venues.

Dominican Republic played in the Pool A competitions of the Paris Olympics women’s volleyball qualifiers that concluded on Sunday, 24 September 2023, with the Dominican Republic and Serbia securing direct berths to Paris 2024.

It is the fourth time the Dominican team has made the Olympic 12-team tournament. The DR also participated in Athens 2004, London 2012 (making the quarterfinals) and Tokyo 2020. To win, the DR defeated Serbia 3-1, Netherlands 3-2 and China 3-1.

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[aarhus]

This was amazing. The Dominican women volleyball team are among the best in the world now.

 

[M4kintosh]

This was amazing. The Dominican women volleyball team are among the best in the world now.

Yes. They've been in top 10 for almost a couple of years now. Now we're #2 in the Americas (behind of Brazil).

 

[BermudaRum]

Yes. They've been in top 10 for almost a couple of years now. Now we're #2 in the Americas (behind of Brazil).

This was amazing. The Dominican women volleyball team are among the best in the world now.

What is really impressive with the world rankings. the DR is #8 out of the top 50 countries.
What I have never seen over the years in the DR is a local league. I would think that this is where most of these ladies would be developing their skills to make the national team. Am I missing something here?

 

[M4kintosh]

What is really impressive with the world rankings. the DR is #8 out of the top 50 countries.
What I have never seen over the years in the DR is a local league. I would think that this is where most of these ladies would be developing their skills to make the national team. Am I missing something here?

There's already a national league (the LVS) and provincial/town leagues. Local tournaments sadly doesn't get too much TV coverage compared to basketball or baseball (altough they have a huge following nationwide).

The Women's National Team have their own farming system (most of them start very young playing at local neighborhood teams in many cities like Santiago or Santo Domingo) and they play in other worlwide leagues in between national/continental tournaments. Their system is more consistent than baseball or basketball in terms of events and ranking points (all year). And the team is managed fully private since 1998 without depending of the State or Ministerio de Deportes (only for logistics in local events). They're similar in sports management like Brazil national team or the Volleyball Canada system.

Volleyball is the third most practiced (we're not talking about popularity where baseball eat them all) sport in the country according to the 2022 census.

Source:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1607398161760272385

Another source: https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...l-beisbol-como-deporte-mas-practicado/2178472

 

[aarhus]

I remember in 2003 watching on TV in Cuba the Dominican Republic women’s Volleyball team beating Cuba in the final at the Pan-American Games which were held in Santo Domingo. It was back then a big upset. The Dominican team had a Cuban coach and the Cubans were among the best in the world. Now the Dominican Republic women’s team qualify for the olympics in Paris 2024 and were first in their group beating for instance Serbia, China and last the Netherlands. And Cuba wasn’t even in it anymore. Strange how that works.

 

[M4kintosh]

And Cuba wasn’t even in it anymore. Strange how that works.

And Cuba hasn't been in the Olympics since 2008. DR's been 4 times since 2004.

 

[aarhus]

And Cuba hasn't been in the Olympics since 2008. DR's been 4 times since 2004.

But I think it’s true that in 2003 it was a big upset the DR winning over Cuba.

 

[M4kintosh]

But I think it’s true that in 2003 it was a big upset the DR winning over Cuba.

For sure, it was a mega event. It's one of the Top 5 most memorable sports events in the DR

 

[aarhus]

For sure, it was a mega event. It's one of the Top 5 most memorable sports events in the DR

Thanks for posting. I watched it in Cuba and had hardly heard of the DR yet. Turns out it was when the DR got ahead of Cuba in this sport. Like in many other things I think from that time on.