Beach volleyball teams gearing up for continental event
Volleyball and Handball
By
Ernest Ndunda
| Dec 13, 2023
Excitement has built up as national women and men beach Volleyball teams camp in Mombasa for the Africa
Zone V Paris Olympic qualifiers are slated for next week in Mombasa.
The women's team, which is also the reigning African champions is under former international Salome Wanjala while Patrick Owino is in charge of the men's team.
The teams have camped at the venue of the competition, Flamingo Beach Hotel, and the two coaches are currently working on endurance to ensure the players are physically fit for the high-level competition.
The top three countries in the zonal qualifiers of the event set for December 20-23 will qualify for next year’s CAVB- African Volleyball Confederation Continental Cup whose winner will get the sole ticket to the Paris Olympics.
READ MORE
Madagascar tycoon to buy Zuku parent firm Wananchi Group
Real estate posts high productivity as challenges hit wholesale, retail sectors
Gold rush: How illegal gallbladder trade threatens Lake Victoria fishers
How container cash deposits are creating a problem for Kenyan traders
Agencies in fresh plan to market Kenyan coffee
AI-driven smart borders transform travel security
Fresh test for Ruto as IMF urges new tax policies to unlock loans
Kenya's nuclear power plan faces significant cost hurdles
Healthcare and business: Diana Okello's journey in aviation medicine niche
How access to credit is boosting tech adoption, earnings for SMEs
Coach Wanjala in an interview said the training is going well.
"I have six players in camp and we are optimistic of qualifying for the final stage and eventually for the Olympic Games," said Wanjala.
In the last edition of the qualifiers held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 2020, the Kenya and Rwanda women's teams qualified to the next stage.
The Kenyan pair of Brackcides Agala and Gaudencia Makokha qualified for the Tokyo Games in 2021 after defeating Nigeria 2-1 at the Africa Continental Cup in Agadir, Morocco.
The men's team lost to Mozambique thus failing to make it to the Tokyo games.
"The qualifiers will not be a smooth walk as all the teams are good but we will give our best," added Wanjala.
The coach has named Sharleen Sembeli and Mariam Musa both from KCB who will be making their debut in beach volleyball at the national team.
Other new faces are international Pamela Masaisai of Kenya Prisons and DCI's Mercy Iminza.
Olympian and captain Gaudencia Makokha and Kenya Prison’s Yvonne Wavinya have also maintained their status in the team as the most experienced pair with international exposure.
Zone V is the biggest in Africa and it comprises 12 countries from Egypt to Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
However, so far Egypt, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and the host Kenya have confirmed their participation.
For the men's side, coach Owino and his team manager Ibrahim Oduor have blended their team with both experienced and young blood.
- Ford Kenya won't fold, to remain in ruling alliance, party leaders say
- Raila: I'm quitting active politics to focus on AUC chair campaigns
- Dr Austin Omondi has been found, KMPDU reports
- Gen Z use church pulpits to send anti-Finance Bill messages
- In a poor economy, even marriages are set to fail