Pipeline plan to nurture volleyball talent
Kenya Pipeline women’s volleyball team players (from left) Monica Biama, captain Ruth Jepng’etich, Janet Wanja and Gaudencia Makokha display their trophies after returning from the Africa Club Championships in Egypt. The club seeks to nurture young talent. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Kenya Pipeline Company will continue investing in talent development to feed its multiple title-winning team.
- Kenya Pipeline women’s volleyball team has three tiers, namely players on permanent employment, contracted players and players on a monthly allowance.
- The North Rift region has provided the bulk of the team’s stars including 2024 National League’s best attacker Noel Murambi.
Kenya Pipeline Company will continue nurturing volleyball talent especially from the North Rift region for the benefit of its teams.
The biggest beneficiary will be Kenya Pipeline women’s volleyball team who are the reigning champions of the Kenya volleyball Federation league. The petroleum transportation company sponsors the team to the tune of Sh18 million annually.
The company, through its corporate communications manager Jason Nyantino, said it will continue investing in talent development to feed its multiple title-winning team. This is good news for schools in the North Rift region that have nurtured volleyball talent for top league clubs and national teams.
Nandi County’s AIC Kosirai Girls Secondary School are the current national secondary schools girls’ champions, having dethroned Kwanthanze in last year’s final.
Kenya Pipeline women’s volleyball team has three tiers, namely players on permanent employment, contracted players and players on a monthly allowance. “Those on monthly allowance are youngsters sourced from high schools. They, therefore, serve as a nursery to the senior team,” Nyantino said in Eldoret.
SCOUT FOR TALENT
“Every year, the team’s technical bench attends national ball games and scouts for talent that informs the junior side. We are targeting players from the North Rift region schools especially because they produce the finest volleyball talent,” he added.
Among the Pipeline juniors who have transformed into household names are Tetu Girls High School alumnus Esther Wangeci (currently with Chamaliers Volleyball Club in France) and left attacker Monica Biama, formerly of Weaver Bird High School in Eldoret.
The North Rift region has provided the bulk of the team’s stars including 2024 National League’s best attacker Noel Murambi, who was poached from St Emmanuel’s Kimilili, centre Ruth Jepng’etich from Stephen Kositany Secondary in Nandi County, Mildred Odwako from Kabuyefwe Girls’ Secondary in Trans Nzoia County, setter Farida Efumbi (Lugulu High), left attacker Asha Makuto (Mukumu Girls) and right attacker Gaudencia Makhokha (St Christopher’s Bungoma).
Kenya Pipeline team was launched in 1984 and has won several continental championships, having represented Kenya in continental competitions 15 times.
