BRIEVENGAT, Curaçao, July 18, 2026.- Defending champion Curaçao and three regional challengers enter the 2026 CAZOVA Men’s Final Four Championship confident in their preparation as Caribbean volleyball’s top four men’s teams begin their quest for the regional title.
Curaçao, The Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago will compete over three days for the championship, with each team expressing confidence despite different paths to the tournament.
Host nation Curaçao will defend the title it won at the 2025 Caribbean Volleyball Championship. Head coach Henrich Daal said his team has spent months preparing for the opportunity to compete in front of home supporters.
“First of all, welcome to all participating teams. It’s been a while since Curaçao hosted an event, so we’re proud and happy to welcome the best teams in the Caribbean. We’ve been preparing for several months, and our goal is to defend our title with honour. The team is ready, the players have prepared well, so let’s get it!”
Daal said playing at home brings excitement rather than added pressure.
“It isn’t nerve-racking to play at home. It’s exciting because our supporters haven’t had the opportunity to watch us for some time. It will be great to have families and fans behind us as we compete for another gold medal.”
Curaçao opens the tournament against The Bahamas. Daal said both teams have changed since meeting last year.
“We know our opponents from last year, but a year has passed. Teams develop, players change, and we’ll have to make adjustments during the match. We are ready.”
The Bahamas believes its experience from the 2025 championship has strengthened the squad. Assistant coach Princtanique Wilson said the team focused on correcting weaknesses identified in its previous campaign.
“We know what our team is capable of. Playing in the last tournament showed us where we fell short, so we worked on those areas to ensure a better outcome this time.”
Wilson said opening against the defending champions on their home court does not change the team’s approach.
“I’ve personally played here before, and I know the environment is very chill. Once we play to our best ability, we should be able to come out on top.”
Barbados enters the tournament seeking to rebound after finishing fifth at the 2025 Caribbean Volleyball Championship. Head coach Andrew Culpepper said the late invitation to the Final Four provided his team with an opportunity to restore its standing in regional volleyball.
“Last year’s result was disappointing, and although we received a late invitation after not originally qualifying for the Final Four, we immediately began training consistently and with purpose. We want to redeem ourselves because that was the worst showing we’ve had. This tournament gives us the chance to show that Barbados belongs in the top tier of Caribbean volleyball.”
Captain Akeel Oxley said Barbados has focused on improving every aspect of its game while building a balanced roster that combines experienced overseas professionals with younger players.
“Our preparation has been good. We’ve spent our time fine-tuning the team and understanding what’s required to compete at this level. We know this is the Final Four, so we expect the matches to be tough, but we’ve come to play hard and go home with the gold medal.”
Trinidad and Tobago head coach Gideon Dickson said his team benefited from a preparation program that began in April after assembling a training pool of about 40 players before selecting the final 12-member squad.
“I’ve been coaching this programme since 2004, and although circumstances kept me away last year, we’ve had a very good preparation cycle this time. We started with about 40 athletes and selected a final squad of 12. I’m very confident in this blend of players and what they can bring to the tournament.”
Dickson said the team, which finished sixth at last year’s championship, is embracing the opportunity to compete among the region’s top four.
Captain Akim Bushe said injuries and a late call-up to the tournament forced the team to accelerate its preparations but have not diminished its confidence.
“We experienced some highs and lows, including late injuries that forced changes to the squad. We weren’t originally expecting to compete in this tournament, so when the opportunity came, we had to fast-track our preparations. Despite that, this is a young team that is eager to compete. These players are hungry for it and ready to prove themselves among the Caribbean’s best.”
The 2026 CAZOVA Men’s Final Four Championship is the first ever tournament of this type and CAZOVA is hoping that it will be a very successful event.
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