Northern Mexican city Monterrey will host an Olympic volleyball qualifying tournament from Monday to Sunday, a contest which will give the winner a place in the 2008 Olympic Games.

 

The tournament for the North and Central America and Caribbean Region will be played in two groups. Group A is Puerto Rico, Cuba and Panama and Group B is the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Cuba, ranked third in the world, is heavily favored to win the tournament and to join the United States in the Olympics.

 

The Dominican Republic is ranked 14th in the world, followed by Puerto Rico in 19th, Canada 24th, Mexico 25th and Trinidad and Tobago 70th.

 

The Cuban team had been defeated by the Dominican Republic in the final of the Central American Games, but struck back in the Pan-American Games and the World Cup.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2007)