Regional hubs to help grow Volleyball in Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijan Volleyball Federation (AVF) and their development programme have recently undergone a series of major changes, especially via the appointment of eight Regional Directors, each responsible for one of the regions / sub-divisions of the Caucasus country. The main goal set out by the AVF through these changes is to improve the promotion of Volleyball across the country with a focus on the younger generations, while fostering a healthy lifestyle and growing domestic players from a very young age. 

The eight above mentioned regions include each from five up to eight sub-districts. The Tovuz Regional Volleyball Centre is one of such local Volleyball ‘hubs’ and earlier this month, officials from the Azerbaijan Volleyball Federation paid a visit to Tovuz and observed training sessions run there. In a very short time, the local officials have managed to establish as many as five and three groups of young girls and boys respectively, each consisting of 15 up to 20 players. Not all of them will be pursuing a professional career in the sport, however they are all having their own share of fun and out of these groups, at least some players with good perspectives will eventually emerge. At the helm of the girls’ groups there is a coach – Gular Ahmadova – who this past September attended the fourth edition of the annual CEV Coaches Convention held this year in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is a young, ambitious coach who works diligently and tirelessly with younger and even more experienced players. 

A partner of the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’, the AVF has already made plans to visit additional Volleyball hubs such as Tovuz Regional Volleyball Centre in the coming weeks and months.