Premium Spikers and City Ladies Win CAVB Zone 7 Championship Openers
VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles clubs Premium Spikers and City Ladies made winning starts to the 30th Confederation of African Volleyball Zone 7 Club Championship, which opened at the Palais des Sports in Roche Caïman on Friday, with Premium Spikers defeating Racine VBC of Comoros 3-1 in an exciting comeback in the men’s Group A match and City Ladies whitewashing Squad X of Madagascar 3-0 in a dominant women’s group stage performance. The tournament, hosted by Seychelles from February 27 to March 7, brings together 25 regional teams and approximately 500 athletes and officials from across the Indian Ocean and East African zone.
The victories are particularly meaningful for Seychellois volleyball fans given that this is the first time in recent memory that the country has hosted the Zone 7 Club Championship, elevating both the visibility of the sport nationally and the pressure on local clubs to perform creditably on home soil. Strong opening results from the two Seychellois sides will boost crowd turnout and national pride as the tournament progresses through the group stages and into the knockout rounds over the coming days.
Premium Spikers showed considerable resilience in their match against Racine VBC, losing the opening set 22-25 before regrouping to win the next three sets 25-22, 25-12, and 25-18 in a display of mental strength and quality. City Ladies were more emphatic, cruising past Squad X with set scores of 25-21, 25-14, and 25-18 to record a convincing clean-sweep victory in their Group A fixture. However, the other two Seychellois men’s clubs had more difficult openings, with Brotherhood losing 0-3 to Saint-Denis Olympique Volleyball from Réunion and Neo Boys losing 1-3 to reigning champions Tampon Gecko Volley, also from Réunion, who are widely regarded as the team to beat in this edition of the championship.
The tournament’s opening ceremony was marked by a speech from Minister for Youth and Sports Kalsey Belle, who welcomed delegations from across the region and declared the championship officially open, describing the Indian Ocean not as a barrier between nations but as a unifying force, and urging all athletes to compete with courage, respect, and fair play. She also acknowledged the role of the Seychelles Volleyball Federation and its committee in bringing the championship to life on home soil. Cable and Wireless Seychelles, the official internet provider for the tournament, is delivering dedicated WiFi connectivity for match officials and scoring platforms, and has unveiled a new corporate tagline, Powering Seychelles’ Digital Future, in conjunction with its championship partnership.
Earlier in the tournament, reigning women’s champions Tampon Gecko Volley from Réunion also demonstrated their title-defending credentials by defeating sister club Moineau Pie Volley 3-0, while Gendarmerie Nationale Volleyball from Madagascar won convincingly in the men’s Group C match against Nioumachoi VB from Comoros. Quatre Bornes Volleyball Club from Mauritius also produced a dominant performance in Group C, overpowering Tsingoni from Mayotte 3-0.
With group stage matches continuing daily at the Palais des Sports, Seychelles’ hosting of the 30th CAVB Zone 7 Club Championship has begun on a strong note for local volleyball, and all eyes will be on whether Premium Spikers and City Ladies can maintain their winning momentum through the group phase and into the knockout stages.
