Beach volleyballers await fate
What you need to know:
- Wilfred Kimutai (Strathmore University), Naftali Chumba, Kiplagat (General Service Unit) and Evans Bera (Oman) were overlooked.
- Kenya finished second behind winners Tanzania during the first phase of the qualifiers.
The national men’s beach volleyball team, which has been training for this week’s second phase of the Olympic Games qualifiers, will on Tuesday know whether or not they will travel to Banjul for the tournament.
The team has been training at the Flamingo Beach Hotel in Mombasa for two weeks now for the tournament to be held at the Palma Rima Beach in The Gambia’s capital.
But there are fears that they might not travel following the government’s directive against non-essential travel to countries considered as high-risk as the coronavirus epidemic continues to bite.
The Gambia’s neighbours, Nigeria, recorded the first coronavirus case on February 25.
Following Kenya’s Ministry of Health directive, the women’s beach volleyball pair of Brackcides Agala and Gaudencia Makokha, as well as substitutes Phoscah Kasisi and Yvonne Wavinya, forfeited their qualifiers that ended last weekend at the Jabi Lake Beach in Abuja, Nigeria.
Await government decision
Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) first vice-president Charles Nyaberi said they have no choice but wait for the government’s decision.
“We are hopeful that the team will receive the greenlight from the Ministry of Sports to grace the event set for March 12 to 16. We were at their offices today (yesterday) and they have promised to give us the feedback tomorrow (today),” noted Nyaberi.
In the meantime, the team’s coach Patrick Owino drafted Kenya Ports Authority attacker Enock Mogeni in the final squad named on Monday.
Mogeni will pair with KVF best setter, the fast-rising Brian Melly, while the experienced duo Ibrahim Oduori and James Mwaniki form the other pair.
Mogeni, the KVF best attacker, replaced General Service Unit player Cornelius Kiplagat who was part of the team that qualified for the second phase in Uganda last year.
Wilfred Kimutai (Strathmore University), Naftali Chumba, Kiplagat (General Service Unit) and Evans Bera (Oman) were overlooked.
Kenya finished second behind winners Tanzania during the first phase of the qualifiers.
