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?

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 !

Take Your Pick - Octoberfest for Sports...

This month marks some major sporting events in the country and what promises to be a busy last quarter of the year 2011 for Kenyan sports fans.These involves both local and international engagements for our sporting individuals and teams as well;

First off is the much-hyped Kenya v/s Uganda game for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for 2012. This though is being played in Kampala but being close home, the number of fans both from within Uganda and those travelling to Kampala's Namboole (fondly named Nelson Mandela) Stadium shall be teeming with one too many Kenyans.
Still in Football, the Kenya Premier League continues with the first 5 teams having a 6-point difference between them thus making it still an open contest. 2nd-placed Ulinzi FC got some reprieve after its earlier docked points are now theirs to lose after KPL Disciplinary Committee decided to have the 2 games played. From the fixtures though, the final standings will take shape this month.

Impala Floodies - Lights, Rugby Action !

For you the Rugby fan, you have the 30th edition of Impala Floodlights coming to you early thanks to the re-adjusted Kenya Rugby Union calendar. Starting on the 8th October, the games run every Saturday till 29th October when the final take place. Most of the rugby sides are likely to play their younger squads though as the games progress the prize money may change the playing units slightly. Reigning champs of the Impala Floodies Strathmore will be hoping to repeat their exploits earlier this year to beat more fancied sides.

In volleyball we have Kenya's own Kenya Prisons team representing the country in the FIVB Club World Championships taking place in Doha, Qatar from October 8th -14th. These championships make a comeback after a long break since 1994. We shall be hoping our girls can make an impact and be among the top 3 teams of the 6 in the tournament.

Chicago Marathon logo - courtesy of www.chicagomarathon.com

In Athletics, the Chicago Marathon starts us off on 9th October. With last year's winner  the late Samuel Wanjiru not in the field, we shall be hoping another Kenyan takes the lead as they have taken the world this year by storm. This race is part of the World's Marathon Majors of which the late Samuel Wanjiru was ranked first in 2010.  3 local road races are planned in the Rift Valley; Kebirigo, Eldoret and Kipkelion. There is also the Standard Chartered sponsored Nairobi Marathon which is slowly becoming a nurturing course for future marathoners for the country. It also part of a series of other Standard Chartered marathons, dubbed 'The Greatest Race on Earth' featuring Singapore, Mumbai and Hong Kong as host cities.

Cricket fans, don't be so gloomy, we have the East Africa Premier League T20 featuring teams from the 3 East Africa countries. The boon for these games are the agreement by SuperSport to screen them live.
In basketball, the final games of the Kenya Premier League come to an end this month with the play-offs expected to start on or before the last weekend of October. This year, the League has gotten a boon from the  #FridayNightBasketball games organised in partnership with CodeRed DJs, General Motors and media partners 1FM. Here's a review of some past Friday games...

Dunk-over-Bike by Mandela - image courtesy of www.kenyahoops.wordpress.com

Make time for any of these sporting events taking place and enjoy supporting your favourite teams and individuals as we seek to develop and grow local sport.

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 !

Volleyball : Kenyan Queens do it again

This year's Women’s African club championship held in Mauritius saw our three teams qualify for the semi-finals, with Kenya Prisons winning the title, 3-1 sets against Kenya Pipeline. This is something of a perennial thing for Kenyan women clubs and this has made them contribute to national and continental success.

The only tragedy is that we have not been able to translate this to the international scene with our team losing mercilessly in the World Championships and Olympics respectively. Methinks the new Kenya Volleyball Federation has its work cut out. With the Commonwealth Games, Olympics and world championships coming up in the next 2 years, better start working now. I do hope you've resolved your little tiff with the Sports Stadia Management Board to avail to you the Kasarani Gym (which the Federation ought to pay for though the Government can throw in a subsidy or two).