By Oscar Pilipili
Three-time winners Kenya Prisons are out to lead hosts to a clean sweep in CAVB African Women’s Clubs Championships scheduled to start at Moi International Sports Centre and Nazarene University Thursday.
Coach David Lung’aho, who won the Championships with Prisons in 2008, 2010, and 2011, is certain that home teams are capable of finishing in 1-2-3 positions.
National champions Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Commercial Bank are the other teams representing the hosts in the show.Lung’aho said the absence of teams from Tunisia and Egypt was an advantage to Kenyans who now need to plot how to eliminate Cameroonians and Algerians from the contest to advance to the podium.
“The absence of Tunisia and Egypt teams does not mean that there will be no opposition for Kenyans but it’s an advantage to certain level,” he said.“The fact that the competition has attracted 21 teams means the contest will be tough and enduring,” Lung’aho said.
Lung’aho said the bumper entry of teams in the Championships was likely to improve the standards of the game on the continent because winners must play against many sides.
“The ultimate winners of the Championships will show real champions of Africa because they shall have played against many teams,” said Lung’aho.Lung’aho reiterated that as defending champions they are not under any pressure but hope to emerge the best of the 21 teams when curtains roll down of the event at MISC on May 19.
“We are not looking at ourselves as defending champions. In fact we look at the Championship as a new tournament and our approach is equally fresh. On lighter note, our aim is not to defend the title but win the tournament,” Lung’aho said at the team’s training camp at Nyayo National Stadium.
Despite having some of the most experienced players on the continent in his arsenal, Lung’aho is not priding over the advantage as he said: “Prisons has injected new blood in the team on yearly basis and their performance has always been fantastic.”
“When we won the first title in 2008, we didn’t have players like Elisheba Chepkemboi, Everline Makuto, Loise Tarus and Florence Bosire,” he said.
And when we won again in 2009, we didn’t have Makuto and Elisheba and all these players are now at their peak,” he said.
Lung’aho said that the participation of youngsters in last year’s international tournaments have given them enough experience to play at continental level.
The reigning champions who have been training at the rubber court at Nyayo National Stadium basketball court moves to MISC on Wednesday.
