28 Nov 2012

Sport: Vanuatu targets Beach Volleyball World Champs

11:08 am on 28 November 2012

Vanuatu has a new target in mind going into this week's Oceania Beach Volleyball Championships in Tahiti.

The Pacific country missed out on their aim of qualifying for the London Olympics earlier this year.

But Miller Elwin and Henriette Iatika have been in career best form of late, managing ninth and second place finishes on the FIVB World Tour.

The President of the Vanuatu Volleyball Federation, Debbie Masaufakalo, says the Oceania Champs is another valuable hitout in the quest to make it to the World Championships in Poland in July.

"To qualify for the world championships you have to be in the top 48 teams in the world. We didn't qualify for the Olympics but we did get in the top 48 teams in the world so we're continuing to play on events so we can keep our world ranking and then be the first Pacific country to qualify for a world championships."

Australia are the defending Oceania Champions, although Vanuatu have beaten them in their last two encounters on the world tour.