Kenya's volleyball queens: Where did the 2000 Olympics team go?

The national women's volleyball team is not new to success. The team has won a record nine African titles and recently retained their African Games gold in Morocco.

Long before the team was christened Malkia Strikers, the sport had already its share of legends. Kenya made it to the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games, but subsequent attempts to qualify for the Games from then have only brought heartache to Kenyans. Kenya finished 11th in the 2004 Games.

The African qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games will be held at a yet to be decided date and venue in January next year, where Malkia Strikers will be hoping to snatch the lone slot the continent is reserved for in the Games after missing out on the 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio) events.

Nation Sport takes a look at the heroines who represented the country at the 2000 Games:

Squad

Mary Ayuma, Violet Barasa, Ednah Chepngeno, Margaret Indakhala, Jackline Makokha, Roselidah Obunaka, Gladys Nasikanda, Dorcas Ndasaba, Judith Serenge, Doris Wefwafwa and Emily Wesutila

Head Coach: Gilbert Ohanya

Assistant coach: Paul Gitau

Ohanya

Nicknamed Fabisch after the late Reinhardt Fabisch who transformed the national men football team, Harambee Stars, to a decent side in the late 90s, Ohanya is remembered as the first coach to guide the Kenyan women volleyball team to the Olympics in 2000.

He coached Telkom and Kenya Pipeline at club level where he achieved big success in African Club Championships before retiring to his rural home in Ugunja where he led Ambira High School to the nationals on several occasions. He also coached men's side Mombasa Telkom and the men's national team in the early 80s.

Ohanya passed away on September 14 this year after losing a long battle to prostate cancer. His burial is slated for October 5.

Gitau

Unlike the joyful and ever-smiling Ohanya, Gitau - his assistant - was a no-nonsense coach. A former Nyeri Posta setter, Gitau honed his coaching skills under the guidance of Ohanya and remains one of the most successful but uncelebrated coaches in the country.

Besides coaching local sides like KCB and Telkom, Gitau is best remembered as the only Kenyan coach to have won two All African Games titles.

He won the 1999 edition held in Johannesburg and his latest success was guiding Kenya's Under-23 team to gold in Congo Brazzaville in 2015. It is from that team that current Malkia Strikers stars Leonida Kasaya, Edith Wisa and Violet Makuto emerged.

Mary Ayuma: A setter at Telkom, Ayuma passed away five years ago.

Violet Barasa: The left attacker was a long-time captain for the Kenyan women's national volleyball team, guiding the team to the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. She passed away on February 12, 2007, aged 31 while still an active player plying her trade in Egypt. She also had professional stints in Japan but locally she turned out for KCB.

Ednah Chepng'eno: One of the most experienced players in the team, Chepng'eno was a right attacker at Kenya Pipeline. She had featured in the 1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championships and at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She secured a scholarship to the USA where she is now working in Texas.

Margaret Indakala: The celebrated middle blocker featured for Telkom locally and was also part of the Kenya women's national volleyball team for 2004 Athens Olympics. She is currently the head coach of Kenya Pipeline women’s volleyball team. She led the team to a bronze medal in the Africa Club Championships in March this year.

Jackline Makokha: A left attacker at KPC, Makokha secured a scholarship to Texas, USA where she is working up to date.

Roselidah Obunaka: She was a middle blocker at Kenya Pipeline and once captained the national team. Now works and lives in the USA and is also involved in volleyball, coaching in Missouri.

Dorcas Ndasaba: The legendary outside hitter played for Telkom before moving to KCB. She was part of the 1998 and 2002 Volleyball Women's World Championships and 2004 Athens Olympics teams. She is now back in the country concentrating on farming after her contract with Rwanda Revenue Authority expired in March.

Hellen Elele: A middle blocker who could also play as a right attacker, Elele secured a scholarship to the US where she is now a medical doctor.

Esther Barno: A left attacker at Telkom, Barno is now a farmer in Kericho.

Judith Serenge: The setter now works with Kenya Pipeline in Mombasa, having played both for the national team and Kenya Pipeline.

Nancy Waswa: A right attacker at Telkom, Waswa now lives and works in Mombasa after a successful career in the sport.

Doris Wefwafwa: The outside hitter, fondly known as scum missile, relocated to the USA but sadly died just a week before graduating from Campbellsville University in Kentucky. pipeline

Emily Wesitula: The retiredlibero is attached to Kenya Pipeline Company in Nairobi.