This archive report was first published on 17 September 2019.
Published on September 17, 2019
At the FIVB World Cup in Japan, Kenya's national women's volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, is yet to win a match, but the team's young players are making a strong impression.
Sharon Chepchumba, a 20-year-old attacker from Kenya Pipeline, has emerged as a revelation in her maiden appearance at a global competition. She has carried her form from last month's Inter Continental Olympic qualifiers and African Games to this championship, where she is the leading Kenyan scorer with 27 points from three matches.
Coach Paul Bitok has praised Chepchumba's performance, saying, "She has a lot of power and she is enjoying herself in every game. One club from Turkey is serious about signing her and this is the right direction at this early stage of her career."
"Chepchumba is really motivated because we have told her to use this tournament as a platform to sell herself. Already she is attracting a lot of interest from many clubs and this has made the setters to have more confidence in her," Bitok told Nation Sport on Monday.
Bitok believes that Chepchumba has great potential and is tipping her to be among the best players in the world in her position in two years' time. He hopes that her club will not stand in her way when the time comes to move, as this has been a stumbling block to the development of their players.
Kenya next face Brazil on Wednesday in Hamamatsu, and the tournament is being played in round robin format.
