A firestorm is brewing between the Jamaica Volleyball Association, (JAVA), and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Volleyball Club, stemming from a incident at the recent UTECH Classic involving a referee.
Months after its return from a one-year-ban for bringing the sport of volleyball into disrepute, the U.W.I Club and the local governing body, JAVA, seem to be on a collision course.
The latest issue stems from an incident involving the first referee during the first semi-final match between U.W.I and Vikings at the UTECH Classic Tournament on Sunday November 25.
The referee in question is a major in the Jamaica Defence Force.
As result of the incident, letters were exchanged between the referee concerned, Java and the sports department of the UWI, and copied to the Chief of Staff of the JDF.
Subsequently, the U.W.I Club has threatened not to enter the 2013 JAVA club league unless guarantees are given by JAVA that the referee involved will not officiate in any of their matches.
RJR Sports caught up with President of JAVA, Major Warrenton Dixon about this latest incident.
“I’m hoping that in the interest of volleyball and all concerned that they will register, because as we have informed them in writing, they are allowed to withdraw from the competition if they believe they are being unfairly treated hereafter without any penalties,” Major Dixon said.
“So I don’t believe that they need to stick hard and fast to we (JAVA) needing to guarantee them about the referee situation before they register… because such a thing amounts to us making a decision before the disciplinary hearing in the first week of January” he added.
JAVA had extended the entry deadline from November 30 to December 17 at 4:00pm.
RJR Sports tried unsuccessfully to obtain comments from the UWI’s Student Services and Development Manager for Sports Dalton Myers, who is said to be on leave. Phone calls to Captain Basil Jarrett, the JDF’s Civil/Military Co-Operation Officer went straight to voicemail.
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