Kenya’s volleyball team finished last at the men’s Africa Zone Five Volleyball Championship that ended on Wednesday at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The championship that doubled up as Africa Games qualifying tournament saw Egypt reign supreme, winning all matches against Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Egypt topped with nine points to claim the only slot available from the zone for the African Games slated for August 23 to September 3 in Casablanca, Morocco.
Uganda finished second with four points, followed by Rwanda with three and Kenya two points. Kenya battled to beat Uganda in 3-2 sets and went on to lose to Rwanda and Egypt. Struggling to beat Uganda before losing to Rwanda 3-0 is a clear manifestation of where our standards are.
The poor show by the national team, which is handled by former Kenyan international Paul Bitok, comes as no surprise to those who have been following the team’s performance, having failed to finish in the top four at the Africa Championships since inception in 1967. The continental clubs’ championship has not been different, with the best show by a Kenya club coming in 2011, when Kenya Prisons won silver after losing to Al Ahly 3-1. Prisons again finished fourth in 2013, the last time a Kenya club came close to a podium finish.
All the Kenyan teams from clubs to national level lack basic skills and this can only be addressed with proper coaching starting from the grass roots level. Playing league matches in open fields yet volleyball is an indoor sport will not help in developing the game. Kenyan teams have little time to acclimatise to indoor conditions on the international scene.
