The Nicaraguan men's volleyball national team is in France to gear up for the Olympic Games of Beijing 2008, sports authorities said Thursday.

General secretary of the Nicaraguan National Federation of Volleyball Alejandro Terenzani said that the Nicaraguan players will face France as part of their training for the Olympics in Beijing.

The team members traveled Wednesday night to France to participate in the World League of Volleyball.

Once the matches in France are finished, the Nicaraguan players will return to Nicaragua, Terenzani said.

"We will give the players some days to rest, to recover and to finish details for the next tour in Japan," Terenzani said.

The competition in France will help to evaluate, make adjustments, correct mistakes and to see the defects of the volleyball players.

In the men's volleyball tournament at the Olympic Games, Nicaragua will first face Italy.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2008)