Sports minister assures National Oil Company they have put their money in the right place by backing national women's volleyball

Sports minister assures National Oil Company that they have put their money in the right place by backing the national women's volleyball team. "After three years, you (National Oil Corporation) will reap the fruits of your investment. This team will go places. And keep on renewing this contract until we retire," said Dr Wario

Cabinet Secretary for Sports Dr Hassan Wario, is surprised as most people are infuriated that somebody can hold a wedding at the indoor arena in Kasarani, when a national volleyball team is kept out.

The reputation the men and women who manage Kenya’s biggest sports facility have created is that of a bunch totally opposed to sport; that the place is market for hire, going to the highest bidder and as sport cannot pay, they can take a hike!

Several hundred acres of it, with a multi-purpose 60,000 seat stadium, an outdoor warm-up running track around a soccer pitch, an aquatic stadium, an indoor gymnasium, plenty of boarding facilities, the Moi International Sports Centre just brings back memories of frustration to so many sports people in this country.

Management holds sports people in contempt because they are unable to pay for its use. It is the money-endowed religious and political groups that have mostly enjoyed the use of the place since t was built for the 4th All Africa Games in 1987.

KASARANI GYMNASIUM

On Wednesday morning, Martin Makokha, vice-chairman of the Kenyan Volleyball Federation (KVF) pleaded with Dr Wario to enable the Kenya national women’s volleyball team to train at the indoor gymnasium at least when they are preparing for international engagement.

The man in charge at the Ministry of Sport, Culture and Arts, under whom Kasarani falls, gave some hope when he said: “It is not right that sports people should be kept off the auditorium because you are having a wedding,” said Dr Wario, adding he would order that priorities changed at Kasarani.

“We are not going to hold back when the team (women’s volleyball) needs to train at Kasarani. This is a sports facility. This team will train at Kasarani if and when they need it, you just have to communicate in time, and if anyone tries to stop you, get in touch with me immediately,” he told KVF.

It will mean, obviously, that (what was previously known as) Sports Stadium Management Board (SSMB) will have to come up with affordable rates for the use of Kasarani facilities by usually cash strapped sporting associations.

CRUCIAL FACILITY

Dr Wario gave a guarantee that will happen: “We shall work on that. But whatever rate,” he told KVF and by implication other associations who would want to use Kasarani, “pay up!”

Indeed some associations whenever they are allowed into Kasarani renege on paying even when they could perhaps afford doing so.

The indoor gymnasium is an absolute crucial facility for, for instance, the national women’s volleyball team, a supremely successful outfit; multi-Africa champions, representatives at World Championships and Olympic Games and recently admitted into the annual FIVB World Grand Prix.

World volleyball competition is done indoors. It makes perfect sense to train indoors but Kenyans, not allowed into Kasarani, cannot do so. Outdoor court training is not only hectic, but it can also lead to unnecessary exposure to injury.

Demand for indoor training by the national women’s volleyball team could not have been higher than in the coming days. Apart from returning to the Grand Prix next year, they have epic goals; the Africa Championships, the All Africa Games and 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers coming up.

And, mercifully, things got just a little bright with coming along of an unprecedented financial backing for the team.

A new dawn for the Kenya volleyball girls beckoned on Wednesday morning when the team received a Sh14m annual sponsorship - for three years - by the National Oil Corporation of Kenya. (NOC)

The National Oil Corporation of Kenya will, thus, come on the world stage alongside other liquid fuel supplying firms such as SASOL and Engen (both of South Africa) firms in similar trade well known for their huge involvement in sport.

Dr Wario witnessed NOC’s coming on board to assist the Kenya national women’s volleyball team’s programmes and said: “This is one of the top ten teams in the whole world, why no corporate had ever given it financial backing is perplexing.”

The Kenya women’s volleyball team also gets new name, ‘Malkia Strikers’, of which Sumayya Athmani, NOC’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Malkia (Kiswahili/Arabic) for the ‘reigning Queen’ is most appropriate. It befits a team that has shown success and resilience.”

 SUCCESSFUL GIRLS

And Dr Wario added: “These girls as so successful... and they are so beautiful; it seems this is the trend, even our athletes (track) are very beautiful nowadays.”

The KVF vice-chairman, Makokha, said the sponsorship was going to be a turning point for the game in Kenya.

“Our men’s team also has the potential to go to the top of the world and even faster if had financial backing. The girls have top recognition because they were the first to stamp their authority,” he said.

The Kenya women’s team, assembled first at the 1987 4th All Africa Games in Nairobi won a Silver medal when they played the final with Egypt. They have gone on to become Africa champions a record eight times.

winning start

When National Oil announced they will be providing money and kit to the team, their rallying was that the partnership was “A winning start with Sport.”

Sumayya said: “When National Oil wished to partner with a sports team, we did a background search and settling for the Kenya National Women’s volleyball was a deliberate decision informed by the caliber of the team.

“We are surprised that no corporate had done this earlier, but maybe it was so that we would rise to the occasion.”

And an upbeat Dr Wario said: “Like Chinua Achebe wrote about a man who likes using big words (often meaningless), this is a ‘moment epoch’! “It’s a big occasion for a deserving team, a very important team.”

Dr Wario added: “After three years you (NOC) will reap the fruits of your investment. This team will go places. And thanks Sumayya, keep renewing this contract until we retire!”

Members of the team were present at the breakfast meeting also attended by leading officials of other Kenyan sporting associations and directors of National Oil, including chairman, Peter Munga.