GUATEMALA, May 10, 2005.-  The teams from Mexico, Panama, Honduras and the host Guatemala had their first practice sessions at the Dome of Guatemala City, site of the Norceca C First Round of the 2006 Women’s World Championship on May 11-15 that gives two tickets for the next phase. The only team still to arrive was Nicaragua. 

It was a very busy day with the arrival of the participating teams, referees and the Committee of Control, led by its President Mr. Cristobal Marte, who had his first meeting with the Organizing Committee and made an inspection visit to the site of the event, a beautiful place with capacity for 7,000 spectators, and also to the Sport Village. 

“The Ramiro de Leon Carpio Dome has all the conditions for a world class event and we expect everything to come out OK,” said Marte, who is also FIVB Vice President, in reference to the gymnasium, a unique facility of its type in Central America, during his initial contact with the organizers, whose committee is directed by Mr. Manuel Oxom, interim President of the National Federation of Guatemala. 

Today is scheduled the inspection to the “Cancha 7 de Noviembre”, selected for the training sessions of the five teams and during the evening will take place the technical meeting, preceding the traditional press conference with all the head coaches. 

Mexico and Guatemala are the favourites to conquer the two tickets available for the next phase, but paradoxically, for neither of them is  convenient to finish first due the fact that the winner must face in the next round to the representatives of USA, Canada and Puerto Rico, while the second place team will meet Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Jamaica, and evidently will have better chances to grab one of the three berths of each pool within the Norceca Confederation for the 2006 World Championship in Japan.