Wanja is back, ready to serve off
Volleyball and Handball
By
Rodgers Eshitemi
| Jul 27, 2017
Three months of constant persuasion and personal reflection are some of the issues that saw Janet Wanja come out of retirement.
And to cap her decision, the celebrated Kenya Pipeline setter made the final team for this weekend’s Zone 5 World Cup qualifiers.
After years of illustrious shows and unending accolades, Wanja felt it was time to quit international volleyball.
The 33-year-old setter made the announcement in April after arriving from Tunisia, where she had steered the national league champions to a fifth-place finish during the 2017 African Women’s Volleyball Club Championships.
But she had a change of heart when Kenya Volleyball Federation chairman Waithaka Kioni and head coach Japheth Munala pleaded with her to reconsider her decision.
And after an impressive two weeks of training, Wanja made the cut alongside former Malkia Strikers captain Braxcides Agala for the three-day tournament that serves off at Kasarani tomorrow.
“It was a tough decision to make, especially after discussions with the KVF chairman and my club coach Munala (Japheth). They told me I was still needed on the team and I had to consult my fiance before coming back.
“But as you know, my country is bigger than me and Kenyans still need me around,” Wanja told The Standard Sports yesterday after the naming of the final team at the Kasarani Gymnasium.
“Of course, the expectations are high and being at home, we must give our best and make our fans happy. However, it will not be a walk in the park.”
Munala was more than happy to have Wanja back on the team, saying her earlier decision was a “hurried move.”
“Looking at the setters around, Wanja is still one of the best in that area. I think she made that rushed retirement decision under pressure. We still need her and that’s why we have talked to her and included her on the team.”
Bigger changes
“We also didn’t have enough time to start making bigger changes to the team.”
Commenting on the inclusion of the youthful trio of Prisons middle-blocker Ann Lowem, Pipeline’s Libero Celestine Nyongesa and Emmaculate Chemutai (Prisons) in the final 14-member squad, Munala said:
“They have proved themselves in training and we are also preparing for a smooth transition. We want to maintain a strong team even after some of the key players retire.”
The team regulars are led by captain Mercy Moim, her assistant Noel Murambi and experienced setter Jane Wacu.
Apart from Kenya, other teams that have confirmed participation are Rwanda, Uganda and North Africa giants Egypt.
Meanwhile, as Vienna gears up for the beginning of the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships tomorrow, Olympic champions Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst will be aiming to become the first women’s team to top a podium at the sport’s three most prestigous events.
These are the Olympics, the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships.