Calls for a change: Chenje says Kenyan volleyball must move with time to remain relevant

By OSCAR PILIPILI

Prisons’ Jackson Mwambia receives the ball against Ulinzi during a past Kenya Volleyball Federation National League play-offs at the Nyayo Stadium. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/ STANDARD]

The sport of volleyball in Kenya must move with time to remain relevant in the world.

Living in the past was bound to jeopardise chances of Kenya as one of the top volleyball playing countries.

This was the opinion of experts while reacting to the performance of Prisons and General Service Unit (GSU) clubs that finished ninth and 11th in recent CAVB African Club Championships in Sousse, Tunisia.

North African clubs from Arab countries — Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya — occupied the top eight positions in the tournament won by home team Esperance.

Commenting on the lacklustre show, Prisons coach Gideon Chenje said investment was key in development of sports.

“Prisons and GSU were playing against teams that have invested handsomely in volleyball,” he said after arriving from Tunisia yesterday.

Contracts offer

“Some of the teams we played against had offered short-term contracts to the best players available for the purpose of the tournament,” he said.

Chenje identified Ahly Tripoli of Libya as one of the clubs that thrives on players from outside their country.

“The gap separating our clubs and the likes of Esperance is narrow and can be bridged with focused planning and good investment,” he said.

He added that having trained on outdoor court at Ruiru Prisons in preparations for the Championships, it took them some time to adapt to the standard facility at Sousse.

He opined that Kenyan clubs must embrace the idea of engaging professionals, whether local or foreigners, to reinforce their teams while on international missions.

Punching bags

“Everyone understands that our clubs do not have the kind of money required to hire professionals, but we can’t just sit and watch our teams being beaten like punching bags. We must ape what others are doing to win,” he said.

According to Chenje, the cost of contracting a player depends on his/her level of play and the country of origin.

“Hiring a player from an African country would be cheaper than signing one from Europe or Asia,” he explained.

But Chenje concurred that it would be a painfully experience for a player who has played for his club for the whole year to be replaced by a new star ahead of a major tournament.

The strategy of offering players short-term contracts is very popular among clubs participating in the FIVB World Club Championships.

 John Odundo who has been promoted to the rank of FIVB Category “B” referee after a course in Tunisia said: “Kenya has good players but our teams need more time to train. The system of contracting players from outside can also help our clubs to perform.

Odundo maintained that the development of local volleyball has to start with talent academies.  

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