Support needed for women volleyball team

Despite being upbeat about a better performance, Kenya’s women's volleyball team fared poorly against competing teams at the FIVA Women’s Volleyball World Championship 2018 in Japan.

Apart from the opening game against Kazakhstan, which Kenya won by three sets to nil, the tables were later turned and the Kenyan team went on to lose by a similar margin to Dominican Republic, Serbia and Brazil.

Several factors can be attributed to Kenya’s poor showing, key among them poor preparations. Not having played any build-up matches against reputable international teams, our ladies clearly lack critical international exposure.

Teams like Cameroon are stealing the show and overhauling Kenya because we have stuck to the traditional methods of coaching while serious teams are embracing technology and gaining greater insights into the game. Kenyan players acknowledge that their biggest letdown is their reception - the lack of basics needed to improve their game.

The selection method, which relies on players from the two dominant clubs - Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Prisons - denies equally good players from small clubs a chance to prove themselves, while inadequate sponsorship and poor remuneration cannot be discounted.

In order for the team to deliver, there must be a clear commitment from the Government to lay the groundwork for success. Nevertheless, despite the loss, our team deserves praise for giving their best. With support, they can move on to become winners.