This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
With just two weeks to go before the CAVB Continental Cup/Olympic qualifiers in Dar es Salaam, Kenya's women's beach volleyball team coaches are in a tight spot. The team's only experienced player, Gaudencia Makhoha, has a continental-level playing record, but the coaches face a daunting task in selecting a winning combination.
Assistant coach Patrick Owino explained that the team has a short time frame to work with, and they must first ensure the players get used to playing in the sand and perfect their tactics before pairing them up. 'We have our work cut out for us in this very short time because we must first ensure the players get used to the sand and the tactics of playing in the sand, before we pair them in order to get winning combinations,' Owino said.
According to Owino, the team will spend the first week perfecting beach tactics and fitness, before working on techniques and pairings in the final week. The team is also dealing with the absence of Naomi Too, who suffered a serious injury during the play-offs and will be out of action for some time. However, they are happy to have Brackcides Agala on board, whose experience in volleyball will be a great asset.
Head coach Sammy Mulinge expressed satisfaction with the players' effort in training so far, but is worried about the team's match against Rwanda, citing the absence of Too as a major concern. 'We are worried about our match against Rwanda now because of the absence of Too but in the next three months, these new players shall have adapted to beach volleyball and we will play well,' Mulinge said.
The six-member team will be whittled down to four ahead of their departure to Tanzania on January 7 for the tournament, which will run from January 9-12.
