The 2021/22 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) National Beach Volleyball Circuit concluded last weekend in Mombasa with the fourth leg held at the Big Tree Hotel.
In total, the Circuit featured four legs with Homa Bay and Makueni hosting one leg each while two legs were staged in Mombasa.
The 2021/22 Circuit brought forth Kenya’s rich potential in the sport as new pairs upset perennial participants like in the last leg where Phosca Kasisi/Yvonne Wavinya emerged winners after beating Naomi Too/Gaudencia Makokha in the women’s final.
The pair of Jairus Bett/Elphas Makuto also defied all odds to win the men’s final, beating GSU’s Nicholas Lagat/Cornelius Kiplagat.
Kenya’s participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games was a big breakthrough for the discipline which has previously played second fiddle to indoor volleyball.
This year, the road to 2023 World Championships in Mexico is not a straight path with only one international competition lined up — the CAVB Zone 5 Beach Volleyball Championship—which will also contribute points to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Players will, therefore, have to religiously participate in the local circuit which is homologated in order to earn points and improve their FIVB ranking.
Therefore, the KVF Beach Volleyball Commission led by Moses Mbuthia and Sammy Mulinge have their work cut out to attract more players to the local circuit which will help them improve their FIVB rankings.
This can be achieved by organising more Tours during the 2022/23 campaign.
Huge entry
The huge entry recorded last weekend in Mombasa shows local players are hungry and have started embracing beach volleyball.
It’s time for young talent to stake their claim in the national team with the CAVB Continental Cup coming up next year.
The pairs of Kasisi/Wavinya and Bett/Makuto stepped up their game in Mombasa to deservedly walk home with gold.
These youthful pairs can be ably complimented by the experienced Brackcides Agala, Ibrahim Oduor and Kiplagat to form a strong team that will do Kenya proud.
Agala/Makokha have gained invaluable experience by playing at the highest level (Olympic Games and World Championship) .
With more tours being added to the local circuit, more talents will definitely be unearthed.The abundance of sandy beaches means KVF’s work is half way done.
The federation needs to cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships with the relevant county governments to help in hosting these tours.
The corporate should be on board during negotiations to make the Circuit lucrative. A bumper prize money for the Circuit will attract more entries.
