This archive report was first published on 25 July 2019.
On July 14, 2019, Cameroon's national women's volleyball team made history by defeating Kenya 3-2 at the 6 October Hall in Cairo, Egypt, to win the gold medal at the 2019 Women's African Nations Championship for the second consecutive time.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya has rewarded the team with a sum of FCFA 204 million (approximately $347,000 or Ksh34.7 million) for their triumph, authorities announced on July 25, 2019.
Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute made the announcement in Yaoundé, the capital city, as he officially received and decorated the players with the medal of 'Commanders of the Order of Sports Merit' on behalf of President Biya.
"You showed patriotism, bravery, combativeness, and self-transcendence. You won it very high with four wins in five outings," PM Dion Ngute told the team, which is coached by Jean Rene Akono.
"You are highly talented sportswomen and exemplary patriots, heroic players who have reproduced the feat of 2017 by conserving the trophy of the Women's African Nations Volley Ball Championship," Dion Ngute added.
Meanwhile, Kenya's Malkia Strikers, who were runners-up in 2017, have received no recognition from the Kenyan government despite several pleas from the team to settle their allowances from previous tournaments.
Kenya's Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed only congratulated the team on Twitter after their final match in Egypt 10 days ago, saying, "#MalkiaStrikers Well done. You did your best throughout at the 2019 Women’s Volleyball African Nations Championships. Thank you for representing Kenya. We are proud of you,"
