GSU stars make beach volleyball squad for Olympic qualifiers

General Service Unit (GSU) setter Brian Meli will make his beach volleyball debut during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics zonal qualifiers slated for December 18-22 in Entebbe, Uganda.

Meli, the Kenya Volleyball Federation National League best setter in the last two seasons, has been paired alongside teammate Cornelius Kiplagat for the four-day event that will see the top two teams proceed to the next round.

Experienced duo of Ibrahim Odouri and James Mwaniki form the other pair. Kenya will battle hosts Uganda, Sudan and Tanzania for the two slots.

Oman-based Evans Bera, who had been drafted in the provisional squad, failed to link up with team that has been training at Shanzu Teachers College grounds.

Enock Omogeni of Kenya Ports Authority and Donald Mchete of Mombasa Prisons didn't make the cut after a 10-day training camp.

While Odouri and Mwaniki have been regulars at previous events, it remains to be seen how Meli and Kiplagat will perform in Uganda.

Oduori and Mwaniki qualified for the third round of the Rio 2016 Olympics qualifiers that were held in Tunisia but failed to travel due to financial constraints.

Coach Patrick Owino said both pairs have been outstanding in training adding that their fitness and technique set them aside.

“For those who didn’t make the cut, there is always a next time. There are more competitions coming up and they should aspire to better themselves and who knows, they may form the team in future assignments,” noted Owino who guided the women’s pair of Gaudencia Makokha and Naomi Too to bronze medal during this year's African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

He added: “We finished our last training on Sunday afternoon and we are scheduled to travel to Nairobi in the evening before we travel to the host nation on Monday night. We have trained well and we hope to be among the top two teams.”

Owino and the recently nominated Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) beach instructor Sammy Mulinge are in charge of the team.