Kenya women’s beach volleyball team coaches are in a race against time to select a formidable team ahead of CAVB Continental Cup/Olympic qualifiers to be staged in Dar es Salaam in a fortnight.
With Gaudencia Makhoha being the only player with an experience of playing beach volleyball at the continental level, the coaches have their hands full as they work on tactics and fitness while at the same time trying to ensure the players are used to playing in the sand so as to get winning combinations.
“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,” assistant coach Patrick Owino said after Saturday morning’s training session.
According to Owino, who was flanked by trainer Salome Wanjala and head coach Sammy Mulinge, they will use the first one week to perfect beach tactics and fitness before working on techniques and pairings in the final week.
“Naomi Too who has been pairing up with Gaundencia (Makokha) in the team suffered a serious injury during the play-offs and will be out of action for some time, leaving the team exposed but we are happy to have Brackcides Agala in the team. Her experience in volleyball in general will be of great help as we also work in nurturing young talents we have in the team,” Mulinge said, adding that he was satisfied with the effort players have put in training so far.
Mulinge believes Rwanda will present the biggest challenge for Kenya in the quest for a ticket to the next round.
“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,” he said.
Players in training include Yvonne Wavinya, Loice Chepkosgei and Brackcides Agala (Prisons), Gaudencia Makokha (Kenya Pipeline), Metrine Nabwile and Phosca Kasisi (KCB).
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.
