Hosts of NBC's The Today Show Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb got a chance to play in the sand with the Bahamian men's national beach volleyball team during a live broadcast yesterday from Atlantis Resort.
Gifford and Kotb were excited to 'bounce around' with Mueller Petit, Renaldo Knowles, Prince Wilson and Byron Ferguson. The two American hosts were the first to wish the members of the quartet good luck on their pursuit to obtain an Olympic qualification.
The journey will continue on Wednesday for the team. Their names are already in the history books because they advanced to round three of the North, Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Sub Zonal regional tournament. All four players, and head coach De'Vince Smith, were thrilled to join Gifford and Kotb on set.
"What is funny about this sport is, beach volleyball in general, they played it in Beijing at the Olympics and I remember realizing just how competitive and crazy it was," said Kotb, before the start of the show.
"It seems as if it was just a fun thing you would do with your friends, and you never realize how good it is. But I can see with the guys the passion people have for it and how excited they are to be playing. They are so pumped up because they can end up playing in London."
The Bahamas moved on to round three after placing second last year to Trinidad and Tobago. In this round, which will include teams from the Association of Federations Central America Volleyball (AFECAVOL) zone, The Bahamas will need to place in the top four if they plan to advance to the final round.
One of five countries from the English-speaking Caribbean, The Bahamas will join Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama in the hunt. Other countries include Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago. Having already qualified for the final round are Cuba, the United States of America (U.S.A.), Puerto Rico and Canada.
"I felt the show was very timely and gave not only The Bahamas, but our beach volleyball team, a lot of exposure, as millions of viewers were tuned in," said Smith.
"Immediately after the show aired, the team received numerous phone calls and texts congratulating them on their success. A lot of well wishes poured in for the next round. We also received calls from a lot of Caribbean players who are now excited and looking forward to the competition."
Smith added that he hoped the government and corporate sponsors will now join with their vision.
"The producer of the show who toured the island complimented our beaches, but in a quick observation noted that we are not set-up like in California where you have hundreds of courts and facilities," he said.
"I believe that beach volleyball is an easier means for the country to qualify for Olympic Games, but we need the facilities in place. We also need the financial support and a lot more exposure."
The squad will continue to train at Nygard Cay, Lyford Cay. They leave for Nicaragua on Wednesday. Play will start on Friday.
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