A level I volleyball coaching course for twenty-two volleyball coaches drawn from the various zones yesterday kicked-off at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

The training course that will run for two weeks is jointly organised by the International Volleyball Federation, Olympic Solidarity and The Gambia National Olympic Committee, and will expose the participants to new technic in volleyball including basic volleyball skills and techniques, roles, responsibilities and principles of coaches, skills defence and attack, lead-up gains as well as beach voleyball.

Speaking a the opening ceremony, Abdoulie Kah, deputy permanent secretary at the department of state for Youth and Sport, who deputised for the secretary of state Axi Gye, commended the sponsors for their support for the game of volleyball, adding that  the training will go a long in fast-tracking revival of the game in the country.

Kah implored the participants to take the training seriously and make themselves availbale for the effectively dessimination of the gained knowdledge to their respective volleyball clubs.

Mr Kurt Radde, the course director, described the training as a standard Level I that will help boost the game in the country if taken seriously.

"This training is very tough and this is why we need a lot of cooperation from the trainees in the quest to register success at the end of the training", he said, noting that the trainees at the end of the course will be examined on both both theory and practical aspects of the game.

Laurence Bruce, Deputy Executive Director of The Gambia National Olympic Committee, described the training as yet another milestone development in the annals of the country's sports sector. He advised the participants to be cooperative during the course of the training.