Kenya Under-23 National team out to write history in World championships

By OSCAR PILIPILI

National volleyball women’s team aims to write history when they take part in the FIVB Under-23 World Championships in Tijuana, Mexico on October 5-12.

Despite having qualified for various global events like World Cup, Olympic Games and World Championships, no national team has ever won a match.

Head coach Sammy Mulinge says the young girls are on mission to break the jinx.

“Our target is to win at least one match because such achievement would mean history has been written not only in Kenya but in Africa as well,” Mulinge told FeverPitch at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani yesterday.

“We understand the task ahead of us would not be that easy because most of our opponents are better exposed,” he said.

“We shall do our best to achieve good results from the tournament,” he added.

The team that was hosted to a luncheon by Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) chairman Waithaka Kioni was scheduled to depart for Mexico last night.

Mulinge urged the federation to enter teams in international age-group tournaments for the purpose of developing players for future assignments.

He said: “Kenya has lost touch in age-group tournaments and I appeal to the federation to use Mexico Championships as the first transition process for senior team.”

Join senior ranks

Mulinge is optimistic that if given chance, most players forming the under-23 team can fit in the senior side.

“Some players in the under-23 squad (Gaudencia Makokha and Violet Makuto) have fitted perfectly in the senior team,” he said.

“It’s my wish to see more of these players develop to join senior ranks,” he said.

Mulinge said the presence of Makokha and Makuto in the team is a great psychological boost for other players.

“Makuto and Makokha are role models for other players who believe that by playing alongside the two they can as well fit in the national team,” Mulinge said.

The team’s captain Makokha said: “We may have not played outside Africa but most of us have played at high level events like African Club Championships.”

Kenya will be competing against some of the best volleyball playing countries in the world including Argentina, Brazil, China, Cuba, Dominican, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and USA.

The tournament gives Federation of International Volleyball opportunity to test two new rules.

The two rules being tested will see sets played to 21 points instead of the customary 25 and an interval of 15 seconds between the referee’s whistle and the serve.

To win a set (except the deciding fifth set, which remains unchanged) is won by the team which first scores 21 points with a minimum lead of two points.

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