Women’s beach volleyball team confident of positive results
Kenya national beach volleyball women’s team is in high spirits ahead of the Africa Zone Five Zonal Olympics qualifiers that start in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania tomorrow.
The team finished its preparations at Flamingo Beach resort in Mombasa yesterday after staying in camp since December 27, 2019.
Head coach Sammy Mulinge unveiled his squad of four yesterday that comprise Phoscah Kaisi (captain) ,Gaudenciah Makokha, Ivony Wavinya and Bracky Agala and hopes are high that they will clinch one of the two slots on offer and qualify for the next round.
“We have everything. Our preparations have been good as the federation has ensured everything is in order and it’s our promise to Kenyans that we will deliver good results,” said Kaisi.
Her optimism stems from the fact that the team has been equipped with new playing kits ahead of their trip to Dar where they will take on the hosts on Friday.
Deputy coach Patrick Owino said the training has focused on ball control, wind skills and techniques that will enable them to stand tall during the round robin competition where they will face Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Eritrea and Sudan with the two top teams going into the next round where other continental rivals await for the sole ticket to Tokyo.
Beach Volleyball Commissions chairman Moses Mbuthi also has confidence in the team, who won silver at the Africa Beach Games in Cape Verde last year.
“We are ready to claim the top two slots to qualify for the second round to be held in March,” said Mulinge.
Kenya have never qualified for the Games since beach volleyball became an Olympics sport in Barcelona 1992 and they will have to be at their absolute best to clinch a ticket to the July 24-August 9 event in Tokyo, Japan.
They have, however, managed a bronze medal in the African Games (formerly All Africa Games) in Maputo, Mozambique in 2011 before finishing fourth in the 2015 edition in Congo Brazzaville.
