This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
Published on October 3, 2019, Kenya's women volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, have shifted their focus to qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
After a disappointing 11th place finish in the 12-team FIVB World Cup in Japan, the team's caretaker coach, Paul Bitok, believes their participation in the World Championships helped the players improve their speed and boosted their confidence ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.
“Although it was a battle for titans in the global championships, our presence and participation was felt and it has built our confidence as we prepare for the Olympic qualifiers,” Bitok told Standard Sports.
The Africa Olympics zonal qualifiers will be held next January, with seven zonal competitions whose winners will compete in a round-robin series to pick the African representative for the Tokyo Olympics.
Kenya Volleyball Federation Organising Secretary Ishmael Chege said the team will rest before being reconstituted later in readiness for the Olympic qualifiers.
Kenya lost 10 matches at the World Cup in Japan, before defeating Africa champions Cameroon 3-1 (25-15, 26-24, 14-25 and 25-21) in their final match.
Bitok expressed his willingness to work with the federation after his contract with the Rwanda Volleyball Federation expired, and he was appointed to handle Malkia Strikers in an acting capacity.
“As we move forward, pending discussion with the federation on my future, it is my goal to venture into a more advisory role especially in sports management and consultancy,” he said.
