African Women's Volleyball Club Championships - Can Kenyan clubs pull it off?

From 10th-19th of May, Nairobi shall play host to the 2012 African Women's Volleyball Club championships to be held at the MISC- Kasarani Gym (if renovation works at the centre finally permit...), with 2 other venues on stand-by in case of any changes. These are African Nazarene indoor volleyball court as well as Brookfield Schools' court.

Once again Kenyan women volleyballers will have the chance to show the continent, why they are the leading proponents in the club game. This would be sweet solace after missing out on Olympic qualifications for the second time after losing out to the Algerians early this year.

Kenya will be represented by 3 clubs including 2-time reigning champions Kenya Prisons, regular finalists and past winners Kenya Pipeline as well as KCB. On paper the Kenyan clubs start as favourites not just because of their regular appearances in the finals but also because of the home court advantage.
They would also love to serve notice as to why they are still among the best in the continent. Each of these clubs have been in residential training and have recruited heavily from high schools and higher learning institutions to ensure continuity and fresh talent.

The only undoing has been lack of a proper professional league in the country unlike some of the North Africans such as Algeria and Egypt. The clubs from these two countries enjoy massive corporate support as well as professionalised services in their recruitment, training and exposure too.
The gap between the North Africans and also the West Africans is slowly closing and it better serve notice to the Kenya Volleyball Federation to raise the standards of the game locally too.
Last week, the Kenyan men's club representatives Kenya Prisons were bundled out of the Men's Africa Club championships in the semi-finals. It has been a tough time for the male players who haven't been able to match their female counterparts both at club and national level.

All in all, join us as we savour the continental game starting next Wednesday at the Kasarani gym. Wonder if any of the Kenyan media houses will choose to screen the games live...what say SuperSport with their SuperSport 9-EA?

GodSpeed to Kenya women's volleyball team for 2012 Olympics qualifiers

Having to endure some unfavourable training conditions and also seeing a change in the technical bench, the Kenyan national women volleyball's team is headed for Algeria for the 2012 Olympic qualifiers with the winners getting the sole ticket for representing the continent.
It might not be an easy call given the short stint the team held as training preparations for the mini-tournament. Seeing as Algeria and the northern hemisphere are currently having chilly weather conditions while the team trained in the heat of the tropics and to make it worse at times even on an outdoor court.

Unresolved issues between Kenya Volleyball Federation and the Sports Stadia Management Board meant the team had to make do with interruptions from the preferred indoor gymnasium at Kasarani. It is ironic that KVF has not found sustainable and consistent financial assistance even with its chair one, Jeremiah Kioni having been elevated to VP- CAVB - the continental volleyball body as well as sterling performances from top Kenyan sides.
This is also the first major outing for the new-look technical team which comprises of coach Justine Kigwari, assistant Sammy Mulinge and trainer Japheth Munala. This will prove if they have what it takes to make sure the team qualifies for the Games we last featured in 2004....(also wonder, how come 15-20 years on Kenya has no substantive woman tactician in volleyball especially at national level, over to you ladies)

All in all, we wish our ladies the best in conquering hosts Algeria, Egypt and Seychelles in the 3-day event!

Kenya Women's Volleyball...can this be the turning point?

After bowing out of the World Volleyball Club championships, the Kenyan club Kenya Prisons proved why women's volleyball in the country needs a new page. The team led by David Lung'aho who doubled up as national team coach until last week's appointment of Paul Bitok, lost all its matches in the tourney.

The women's game has been at its best on the regional and continental circles but on the global stage we are the whipping bags of other teams. It would not be fair to say that the game has stalled but what seems to ail the ladies on international duty?

First, we have to put it to the technical expertise available. With the national team technical bench coming from local clubs, it is almost certain that most have not much exposure on the game's smaller more scientific procedures. A few years back Kenya Volleyball Federation has sought to invest in the Japanese expertise but we haven't had much headway with that.

Secondly the local league cannot be said to be truly competitive to make for suitable hunting grounds for clubs in Europe and Asia. A few players have left but come back even before the season closes seeing the tough training regime exercised in those leagues.

Thirdly, investment in the game by the Kenya Volleyball Federation. Just like most of the sports organisations in Kenya, very little amount of monies have been set aside for grounds and training centres for the game's growth. It is embarrassing that even for continental championships held in August, the KVF had to request private institutions to host the games ( true the Kasarani gymnasium is under repair but is that the only venue worth writing home about...?)

In November Kenya returns to the international scene with another slot at the World Cup to be held in Japan. For now, the remedial measures would be to ensure the ladies remain in camp as long as possible and receive rigorous training under their technical charges.

Going forward though, KVF needs to impress upon the Kenyan Government and well-heeled corporate firms of its worth. They can borrow a leaf from Kenya Rugby Union which has seen many a corporate put some amount into the local game. As we start the new system of governance through counties in the country, it will be interesting which ones pick up investment in sports facilities such as is with volleyball courts among others.

For international expertise, KVF can forward requests to FIVB who can aid in seeking and upon secondment, recommend the necessary personnel for this. This of course would also need some funds since most technical expertise is not cheap.

That way we shall be turning a new page in the game of volleyball that has been among the consistent ones in performance by our ladies.

In Other News:

The women's team at the CAVB Continental Cup - Zonal phase held Lome, Togo secured a place in next year's Continental Cup to be held in June 2012. Kudos to you for learning your ropes fast and taking the game to your opponents. Ours is to pray your efforts will be rewarded and shining Kenya's light across the world. 2016 you ought to be on the sunny beaches of Brazil !

2011 Women's Africa Nations Championship - Nairobi welcomes Continental Challenge

Kenya's place as the continent's one of biggest success in volleyball is without a doubt. That endorsement is seen in the current club and nation's ranking among the best in the women's game of volleyball.
It is thus Kenya's team to lose as they host the Africa's Nations Championship for the next few days ending on the 23rd of August. Due to the repairs taking place at the Kasarani sports stadia and also the need to have these games played in an indoor facility, Kenya Volleyball Association sought the private institutions at African Nazarene University and Brookhouse School to host the games divided into 2 pools.Image courtesy of www.sportsnewsarena.com

The games were necessitated by the need to get Africa's representatives in the FIVB World Cup in November 2011 ( Kenya has represented Africa 5 other times with 2010 being the most recent, albeit to some poor showing). Some of the teams will also use the championships to prepare for the All- Africa Games which start in September in Maputo.
The pools are divided into;
Pool A: Cameroon,Egypt,Kenya and Nigeria
Pool B: Algeria,Botswana,Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia

Saturday represented Day 3 of the games. Front-runners for the finals are already positioning themselves with Kenya hoping to retain its pole position. Stiff opposition comes in the form of Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and Tunisia.
We wish the ladies team all the best as David Lung'aho's charges look to retain their title as Africa's Queens. Led by captain Brackcides Agala and seeing seasoned hands such as Janet Wanja making a comeback, it is without doubt Kenya's championship to lose.

For more regular updates check these links, www.sportsnewsarena OR www.cavb.org

Volleyball...can the Girls be true Queens now?

The continental volleyball scene is slowly becoming Kenya's mainstay. The club level shows this as the case but let's not be too happy for the time being. We have seen this before, our girls doing well on the continental platform but being dismal at the international engagements. As continental champs, the Confederation Africaine de Volleyball, CAVB needs to get its work cut out and send the team(s) for the necessary training camps of course with the national volleyball body working in close ties with them.
It would be fair for the continent to come out and put a better performance in the Women's World Club Championships to be held in Qatar later this year. 5th out of 6 team is not a respectable position and though ambitious 3rd place is a possibility.
Let's work towards that please Kenya Volleyball Federation and make the best for the continent as we have done in other sports. Well played though for Kenya Prisons winning the African club championships & Kenya Pipeline mustering a 2nd place too !