Cuban beach volleyball players second in Punta Cana

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 11 (ACN) The Cuban duet Noslen Díaz-Jorge Luis Alayo finished second in the eighth and last phase of the North, Central America and Caribbean Circuit (NORCECA) of beach volleyball, held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, after losing 1-2 in the final to the Canadians Samuel Schatcher and Daniel Dearing.
 
Díaz and Alayo added 760 points to their ranking, but could not maintain their unbeaten record after successive victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
 
This year, they finished 17th in the world championships in Rome, Italy, and won the gold, silver and bronze medals in the NORCECA stops of Aguascalientes, Punta Cana and Varadero, as well as the gold medal in the 1st Central American and Caribbean Sea and Beach Games in Santa Marta.
 
The tournament in Punta Cana hosted duets from 12 nations and opened the qualification system for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.