Beach volleyball:National teams move to camp to prepare for Club Games

Gaudencia Makokha [left] and Brackcides Khadambi during Kenya Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball commission tournament held at Big tree Beach in Mombasa.26th February 2022.[Omondi Onyango,Standard]

National men and women beach volleyball teams will move into residential camp in Mombasa today as they prepare for the Commonwealth Games African qualifiers slated for Accra, Ghana from March 24-29.

Beach Volleyball Commission of Kenya Secretary Sammy Mulinge said all the arrangements have been finalised for the teams to move into camp for adequate preparation.

“We are behind schedule and we must move with speed to have the teams in camp and start their training immediately,” said Mulinge.

He said The Big Tree Hotel that hosted last weekend’s third leg of the national beach volleyball Tour will be the venue for the national teams training ground.

“We have moved the training to Mombasa since it has unique beaches, which are favourable for top notch training,” said Mulinge who guided the national women beach volleyball team to last year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

The Kenyan women team are the African queens and all eyes will be on them at the continental qualifiers.

“We stand high chance of making it to the Commonwealth Games since our rivals from North Africa among them Egypt and Tunisia will not be participating,” said Mulinge.

The women teams has Brackcides Agala, Gaudencia Makokha, Yvonne Wavinya, Phosca Kasisi, Naomi Too and Veronica Adhiambo.

In the men team, experienced pair of Ibrahim Odour and James Mwaniki have been retained while Donald Mchete and Wilfred Kimutai return to the team.

Kenya Prisons pair of Elphas Makuto and Jairus Kipkosgei have been called to the team.

Meanwhile, Malkia Strikers coach Paul Bikot took his campaigns for the Kenya Volleyball Federation Deputy President position to Mombasa.

“I am in Mombasa to meet volleyball teams and see how I can help them to improve the game at the coastal city,” said Bitok after handing over nets, balls among other playing kits to several teams. [Ernest Ndunda]