This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
December 27, 2019
Kenya's national women's volleyball team is gearing up for a historic opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games, a feat the team has not achieved since 2004. The team will compete in the Olympic qualifiers, which kick off on January 5 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Kenya last competed at the Olympics 16 years ago in Athens, where the team lost all its matches against Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Japan, and hosts Greece, finishing last in the 12-team competition. However, the team has another chance to redeem itself and qualify for the quadrennial games.
The team, currently in residential training at Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, has eight days to prepare for the qualifiers. In Yaoundé, Kenya will face stiff competition from Cameroon, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Botswana, Rwanda, and Mauritius in the battle for the single slot reserved for Africa at the Olympics.
Kenya has dominated the continent in the past decade, winning the African Games and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. However, the country has struggled to qualify for the Olympic Games, missing out in 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London), and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro).
Experienced centre player Triza Atuka will miss the Olympic Games qualifiers due to injury, while veteran setter Janet Wanga has opted out of coach Paul Bitok's team. Nevertheless, coach Bitok has able replacements for these players, and selecting the best possible squad will be crucial in ensuring continuity and giving Kenya a good chance of qualifying for the Olympic Games.
The Sports ministry should facilitate proper training for the team to ensure the squad is well prepared for the task ahead. With Kenya Sevens rugby teams already qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games, the country needs to send as many teams as possible in different fields of competition to the Olympics to diversify its sources of medals and avoid overreliance on athletics.
