Paola Volleyball Club set for training camp ahead of Italy tournament

Paola Volleyball Club will be organising a training camp for its players and coaches between Friday and Sunday.

The training camp will be led by professional Italian players and coaches and will be held thanks to an agreement reached between the Paola Volleyball Club committee, led by president Dr Kenneth Vella, and Stefano Negrini, a consultant and professional Italian agent, whose area of specialisation is volleyball.

Negrini, who is also an ex-player and coach, was recently in Malta following an invite by Vella to experience the level of volleyball in Malta.

Negrini was impressed with the high-standard facilities offered by the Hibernians Sport Association which is led by Ronnie Calleja.

Apart from Negrini, this training camp will be conducted by a number of professional Italian coaches, namely Luca Sgandurra, who coached Akragas Agrigento, Stefanese, Volley Fidelis and Isernia, Norma Pilota, who works with the Italian Volleyball Federation as an observer for Sicily, apart from being a qualified coach and also played in the Italian top-flight.

Sgandurra and Negrini will be assisted by professional players Sara Anselmo, who plays with Iserna, Argentine-born Marcela Ivana Nielsen, who played in the Serie A2 league with Catania and Amando Volley, as well as Rebecca Ponton, who plays with a professional team, Female Volley.

When asked about this training camp, Vella explained that this event will take place thanks to a collaborative agreement made with Stefano Negrini a few weeks ago and will lead to the Paola club, which currently occupies the first place in the Maltese second division, to cement a solid and profession foundation, even with the consolidation of the club nursery which is led by Carmen Gauci.

Moreover, the camp will be held a few days before the Paola club travels to Sicily to participate in the Conca d’Oro tournament between April 3 and 8 in Monreale.

Apart from Monreale and Paola Volley, led by coach Mark Ħili, the Italian clubs of Asiago and Mondello will participate in this tournament which will provide much-needed international experience to the Maltese players.