KZN teen on the ball in Turkey

PHOENIX teenager Deloshen ‘’Trevino’’ Valaitham is flying the South African flag at the 2022 FIVB U-19 Boys’ World Beach Volleyball Championship taking place in Turkey.

The Grade 10 pupil at Greenbury Secondary said he was thrilled to be participating in his first international competition.

Deloshen’s talent got him noticed at the U-19 indoor interprovincial tournament. Volleyball South Africa (VSA) chose him and 19-year-old Heiko Guther, of Pretoria, to represent South Africa in Turkey.

The groups consist of four teams which have played three games to advance in the tournament, which ends today.

“It feels really amazing because this has been one of my dreams to participate on the international stage and now I have the chance. I want to play in the Olympics one day,” said Deloshen.

He said in beach volleyball the court was smaller and it was much harder to move on the sand.

The teen started playing volleyball at the age of 4, following in the footsteps of his dad, Rowan, who played with KZN’S elite teams, Atlanta and WB Dolphins.

With his dad as his personal coach, Deloshen’s skills superseded those of his primary school teammates, making him an automatic choice to captain his school teams in all competitions.

Deloshen joined the senior men’s team, Aqua Darshan Galaxy.

In July Deloshen captained the KZN U-17 team in the National Schools Volleyball Championship in Cape Town, where he was named best server and best attacker of the national championship. At VSA’S Junior U-19 interprovincial tournament in Limpopo in July he again scooped the best server and most valuable player awards and a place in the SA U-19 team for the Region 5 Games scheduled to take place in Malawi in December.

Deloshen got his provincial and national colours for volleyball this year.