Still No Response to Belize Volleyball’s International Protest

The Belize Volleyball Association is still waiting for responses from the International Volleyball Federation and other parenting bodies to their formal complaint about the conduct of Head Referee Tatiana Villalobos in the final moments of the men’s bronze medal match at the Central American Games. The Costa Rican referee gave a tie breaking point late in the fifth set to Panama even though the ball clearly went out of the hands of their blocker. The referee’s error and her dismissive attitude towards Belizean players’ and her own side judge’s objection resulted in emotional outbursts by players and the game being called for Panama. President of the Belize Volleyball Association, Allan Sharp, is still irate at the behavior and decisions of Villalobos, referring to the outcome of the bronze medal match as a grave injustice to team Belize and the sport of volleyball.    

 

Allan Sharp, President Belize Volleyball

“For that referee to make all those mistakes in that moment, to me requires investigation by the international governing bodies and honestly reprimand of that particular referee. That Costa Rican referee is well known in the region. If Brazil was playing USA and that happened at the Olympics, that referee would never see an international level at the world level again. So we expect that this referee is going to be reprimanded by the international body. That’s what we are asking for. We’re saying this should never happen again. You cannot reverse time. We understand we cannot go back and play the match, but we were served a grave justice at that moment. We had a chance to to win the bronze medal. We had the momentum.  It was a beautiful match until the referee messed it all up. And plus to make not only a mistake call, but to issue the red card at that moment is – ridiculous is a small word for it. So the Belize Volleyball Association has written to the international body and ask them to review and in our opinion reprimand.”