Mozambique: Ana Paula Sinaportar and Vanessa Muianga out of the race for the Olympics

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Mozambique: Ana Paula Sinaportar and Vanessa Muianga out of the race for the Olympics

3:45 CAT | 23 Apr 2024

File photo: O Pais

The duo Ana Paula Sinaportar and Vanessa Muianga will no longer participate in the last qualification window for the Olympics, Paris 2024, scheduled for July. This is due to Ana Paula’s withdrawal, as she has been granted a scholarship to continue her academic studies.

The athlete will no longer be able to continue the qualification journey, a marathon that started many years ago and was a dream for the prominent duo. Thus, Vanessa Muianga is left without her partner, closing the door on the dream of participating in this important competition.

Ana Paula Sinaportar and Vanessa Muianga are seven-time champions of Zone VI. The two athletes maintain the status of the most formidable duo in the southern region of Africa. In addition to their international achievements, Ana Paula and Vanessa Muianga have won several national titles. Recently, the duo won a silver medal at the African Games, held in the capital of Ghana, Accra.

The national beach volleyball coach, Alexandre Pontel, considers Ana Paula Sinaportar’s withdrawal from qualification a major setback for the country and for the sport, which dreamed of a possible presence at the Olympics.

“It’s very sad. It’s a pity at this moment of Olympic qualification decision-making. I understand that each person has their life goals, each one has their goals to achieve,” notes the national coach, in contact with “O País.” Pontel says that, despite being saddened, life cannot stop.

In this sense, the hope of volleyball to make its presence felt at the Olympics falls on José Mondlane and Osvaldo Mungoi.

The duo will fight for a place in this global event in the last qualification window scheduled for June in Tangier, Morocco. The athletes are already working under Alexandre Pontel’s guidance.

“We are intensifying our preparation work. We are working hard three times a week, alternating between the gym, psychological sessions, and field activities,” said Alexandre Pontel, explaining that they are currently awaiting the availability of air tickets from the Mozambican Volleyball Federation (FMV) to travel to Brazil, where the duo will undergo a training camp.

“In Brazil, everything is already taken care of, as I have already closed many partnerships. There, we will be able to participate in championships and preparation games against local opponents,” he notes. If the FMV provides the tickets, the duo’s departure to that South American country could be on Friday.

“The president told me yesterday that he was working with the Sports Promotion Fund (FPD) to at least have the tickets by Thursday. The idea was to have traveled last weekend, but we couldn’t due to the lack of tickets.

The last stage of the camp will be in Portal, where they will also play control games before heading to Morocco to fight for a spot in the Olympics.

Source: O Pais