Pipeline stay focused on title defence
Kenya Commercial Bank's Gladys Wairimu serves the ball during a training session at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on November 20, 2018. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT |
What you need to know:
- Pipeline face bitter-rivals Kenya Prisons and KCB, both of whom also intensified their training at Kasarani.
- The fourth side in the women’s play-offs is Bungoma County.
- Men’s champions General Service Unit (GSU) along with arch-rivals Kenya Prisons also continued to polish their skills at Kasarani in readiness for the play-offs where they will come up against Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Defence Forces.
Heavyweights Kenya Pipeline upped their preparations for the National League play-offs even as reports emerged on Tuesday they could lose their head coach and six key players to a rival club.
The play-offs, to be played at the Moi International Sports Centre from December 1 to 3, on Wednesday received a major shot in the arm with Kenya Commercial Bank coming on board as tournament sponsors.
With the bank’s sponsorship, this year’s winners will walk away with Sh250,000 with the second and third-placed teams banking Sh100,000 and Sh50,000, respectively.
Kenya Volleyball Federation vice-chairman Charles Nyaberi said Sh200,000 will go towards the tournament’s organizing costs, adding that the competition will run on a league format.
National women team head coach Japheth Munala, who is in charge of Kenya Pipeline, would not confirm or deny that he is on his way out.
He recently penned a two-month contract extension with the former African champions for the months of November and December.
Reports say Pipeline players have signed one-year contracts, although six of them — Noel Murambi, Leonida Kasaya, Violet Makuto, Veronica Tanui, Truphosa Samoei and Christine Njambi — could be headed to rivals Kenya Commercial bank.
ATUKA OUT
Munala is also being linked with a move back to the bankers whom he coached from 2008 and 2011.
“Our focus is on the National League play-offs. We want to retain the title and we have prepared well for the test ahead. The play-offs will not be easy, but we have what it takes to defend our crown and qualify for the African Clubs Championships. That’s all I can say at the moment,” said Munala, who will be without skipper Trizah Atuka for the play-offs. The star blocker is out after undergoing surgery earlier this month.
Pipeline face bitter-rivals Kenya Prisons and KCB, both of whom also intensified their training at Kasarani. The fourth side in the women’s play-offs is Bungoma County.
Men’s champions General Service Unit (GSU) along with arch-rivals Kenya Prisons also continued to polish their skills at Kasarani in readiness for the play-offs where they will come up against Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Defence Forces.
Gideon Tarus, the GSU head coach, was optimistic his charges would defend the title.
