Volleyball: Gaudencia and Brackcides ready to take on US, Brazil in Tokyo duel

Kenya national volley ball team coach, Sammy Mulinge [with ball] instructs players during their training at Flamingo Beach in North Coast. The team prepares for National Olympic qualifies to be held in Morocco [Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Kenya national women beach volleyball team will debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and coach Sammy Mulinge will heavily bank on experience to leave a mark at the Games that begin on July 23 to August 8.

Kenya will be represented by the experienced pair of Gaudencia Makokha and Brackicides Agala, who will depart for Tokyo on July 21.

Mulinge believes that experience will carry the day for Kenya since the two players have been training together and are ready for action.

Despite Kenya playing in the sport for the first time at the quadrennial event, Mulinge said the two players have played together for many years and have bonded well. Kenya have been drawn in Group ‘E’ alongside Brazil, USA and Latvia.

Agala has been in this competition for a while and knows exactly what is required of her. Her exposure in other fields makes her exceptional. Makokha, on the other hand, has played senior beach volleyball up to the World Championships save for the Olympics.

“Brazil and USA are ranked higher than us while Latvia is a decent side. However, we are analysing them to know how best to handle them. Our first objective is to get a set,” said Mulinge.

The Kenyan girls have been grouped in pool D together with Brazil duo of Ana Patricia/Rebecca, US’s Clases/Sponcil and Latvia’s team of Kravcenoka/Graudina. The order of play will be communicated to the teams later this week.

The team will jet out on July 21, according to the traveling schedule.

[Ernest Ndunda]

Pen Pixes

Gaudencia Makokha

Date of birth. 15/11/1992

Height. 187 cm

Weight. 68kgs

Debut club. Kenya Commercial Bank

Current club. Kenya Pipeline

Team partner. Brackcides Agala

Current achievement. Reigning Africa women beach volleyball champion.

Brackcides Khadambi Agala

Brackcides Khadambi Agala.[Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Date of Birth. 14/5/1984

Height. 1.80 cm

Weight. 69kgs

National duty. Former Malkia Strikers captain

Qualifications. She holds a FIVB Levwl Two coaching certificate

Team partner. Gaudencia Makokha

Gaudencia Makokha .[Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Current achievement. Reigning Africa women beach volleyball champion.

Technical bench

Sammy Mulinge: National coach

Sammy Mulinge [Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Secretary of the Beach Volleyball Commission of Kenya

Moses Mbuthia: Head of delegation

Chairman of the Beach Volleyball Commission of Kenya.