This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
Kenya's Malkia Strikers have secured a return to the Olympics after a 16-year hiatus, beating Nigeria in straight sets on Thursday at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports Arena in Yaounde, Cameroon.
According to coach Paul Bitok, the team's preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled for July 24 to August 9, have been marred by difficulties in training due to lack of facilities and funding.
Bitok highlighted the struggles his team has had to endure, including training in a warm-up gymnasium with poor lighting and limited access to Kasarani for just three weeks.
"We all have to be proud of what these girls have achieved under very difficult conditions," Bitok said in a post-match presser.
He also lamented the lack of financial motivation for his players, pointing out that their opponents, Egypt and Cameroon, had training camps in Brazil and Poland, respectively, and played quality friendly matches.
"When we beat Cameroon, all their players were crying because they knew they had lost an opportunity to earn around Sh4.5 million each," Bitok said.
He urged the government to support the team in their preparations, citing the example of Cameroon, which invested more than Sh8 million to host the tournament.
Bitok also reflected on the team's successful African Games campaign in August last year, where they won gold by beating Cameroon in the final, but noted that each player took home just Sh50,000, while the technical bench received nothing.
"We have to change these policies and appreciate our teams better," Bitok said.
Despite the challenges, Bitok has successfully transformed the team into a winning outfit in under six months since taking over from Shaileen Ramdoo in August last year.
