This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
On Thursday, December 19, 2019, Kenya's men's beach volleyball team made a strong start in the Zonal Olympic qualifiers, defeating Sudan at the Lido Beach in Entebbe, Uganda.
The team, represented by Brian Melly and Cornelius Kiplagat, and Ibrahim Oduor and James Mwaniki, won their respective matches against Muzami Ateya and Mohammed Hamad, and Nagi Osman and Badr Momen.
Kenya will now face Tanzania on Friday in their second match of the four-day event, which has attracted four teams, including hosts Uganda, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Teams coach Sammy Mulinge praised the performance of Melly and Kiplagat, who are making their debut and last participated in the event during the 2015 qualifiers in Mozambique.
“The pair of Kiplagat and Melly are adapting to the sport's technic and tactics. They have a lot to do as far as mental strength is concerned so as to measure up to the pair of Oduor and Mwaniki,” said Mulinge.
Kenya will need to be disciplined in the subsequent matches to harvest maximum points and boost their chances of qualifying for the next round and better seeding.
