Volleyball: National Tour serves off in Mombasa

July 26, 2021. Brackcides Khadambi of Kenya in action. REUTERS

Africa women beach volleyball queens Gaudencia Makhoha and Brackcides Agala will highlight the third edition of the national beach volleyball Tour that serves off today in Mombasa.

The duo which represented Africa in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games last year are among the 10 women teams that will take part in the two-day tournament to be played at the Big Tree Beach Hotel.

Both men and women national players who will be in action this weekend will use the Mombasa event to gauge their preparedness for the Commonwealth Games qualifiers scheduled for next month in Accra, Ghana.

The African qualifiers are set for March 24-29 where the winners will qualify to represent the continent at the Club Games.

However, it will not be smooth sailing for the African queens as an acid test awaits them from Naomi Too who won silver in the 2019 Africa Games and her partner Veronica Adhiambo.

Too teamed up with Adhiambo to win the second leg of the FIVB homologated national tour in Makueni in December last year.

The duo defeated the Olympians 2-1 (23-21, 18-21, 15-10) to win the second leg and will be out this weekend to put up spirited fight to extend their win. Makhoha and Agala won the first leg played in Homabay.

Another stiff competition is expected from Phosca Kasisi and Yvonne Wavinya who represented the country at the 2021 African Olympic qualifiers.

Reigning national women volleyball champions Kenya Prisons pair of Elphas Makuto and Jairus Kipkosgei have been called to the women national beach volleyball team that also has Agala, Makokha, Wavinya and Kasisi.

In the men category, experienced Ibrahim Oduor and Jimmy Mwaniki will be the players to watch alongside Kenya Ports Authority’s pair of David Thuita and Elijah Bosire who made it to the semi-finals of the Makueni circuit.

Other men teams comprise of Benard Musumba and Mathias Kemboi, Cornelius Kiplagat and Nicholas Lagat.