Volleyball - Wacu was eligible to play in title decider |01 September 2017

Kenyan setter Jane Wacu was eligible to play for Arsu in the title decider against Cascade, the Seychelles Volleyball Federation has said.

Speaking to Seychelles NATION, Seychelles Volleyball Federation (SVF) secretary general Terry Servina said “the transfer document regarding the player (Jane Wacu) was in order before the match and therefore she was a legal member of the Arsu squad for that match”.

Cascade had filed an official complaint to the SVF, raising concerns over the inclusion of Arsu’s newest recruit, Wacu, stating their belief that her transfer was not complete by the time she took to the court in the final league match of the season.

Cascade and Arsu faced each other in the title deciding match on Saturday August 19 and reigning CAVB Zone 7 Indian Ocean Club Championships winners Arsu emerged victorious on a 3-1 (22-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-12) score at the Palais des Sports to earn their 17th championship win – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The victory earned Arsu the league title, and relegated Cascade to third place in the table, thus missing out on qualification for the CAVB Zone 7 Indian Ocean Club Championships scheduled to take place in December.

“As far I know, the federation has accepted the transfer of the player to Arsu and the Kenyan volleyball federation also sent their release letter to us, which meant that she was free to represent Arsu, locally,” added Mr Servina.

He revealed that for them, as soon as the player’s former association releases a player, she is free to sign with another club and as soon as she receives her Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP), she is free to represent her new club.

“However, while she is free to play for Arsu locally, she has not yet received approval from the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB), which means that until she does, she cannot represent Arsu in international tournaments, such as the CAVB Zone 7 Indian Ocean Club Championships,” added Mr Servina.

He did explain though, that CAVB does rush with such things and by December Wacu should have received her approval and he re-iterated that the CAVB approval is only needed for international tournaments and all her documents are in order for her to represent Arsu locally.

Setter Wacu, 32, was instrumental in Arsu’s title winning victory and she is perhaps the only player to ever win a league title in her first game for a new club here.

She was signed from Kenya Prisons, a team she represented at the African Club Championships recently.

S. N.