A total of 72 volleyball players battled at the weekend for places in the All Africa Games qualifiers teams that will travel to Namibia for the games, according to the official Sunday Mirror.

Zimbabwe Volleyball Association Technical Director Erasmus Mupukuta said the trials would give an insight into the quality of players for selection.

"A total of 36 boys and 36 girls will this weekend undergo volleyball trials at the University of Zimbabwe," he said.

"From those trials we intend to come up with 20 boys and 20 ladies who will get into camp for the All Africa Games qualifiers which this year have been merged with the annual zone six national championships which will be hosted in Namibia end of February," he added.

He said selection is based on players' performance in the just ended season and said the association is looking at having a lengthy camping period to fully prepare for the games.

The selection will look into the usual finer volleyball aspects but last year's performances will be the major guideline for selection and funds permitting we were looking at having a month or so camping period as this competition is very important, he said.

Ten Southern African countries will compete in the week long tournament which will run from the 27 to the 3rd of March.

The tournament will decide the eventual candidates for both the men's and women's teams for the 2007 All Africa Games.