Beach volleyball: Kenya's gold rush begins in Mombasa

Kenya women’s beach volleyball team coach Salome Wanjala is confident her new-look side will claim gold in the CAVB Zone V beach volleyball Paris Olympics qualifiers that serve off on Wednesday at Pride Inn Paradise hotel in Mombasa.

Wanjala, who guided the women’s team at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games last year, has been forced to reorganise her team due to the unavailability of veterans Brackcides Agala, who is out injured and Naomi Too, who is away due to personal reasons.

The absence of the dependable duo has forced Wanjala to promote Yvonne Wavinya to the first team to play alongside Gaudencia Makokha, while new call-ups Sharlene Sembel and Mercy Iminza will offer support in the second-string side.

As the tournament serves off on Wednesday, Wanjala is optimistic that the new partnership of Makokha and Wavinya will deliver gold for Kenya in the five-day event, where the top three teams will qualify for the African Games and CAVB Continental Cup scheduled for next year. The winner of the CAVB Continental Cup will represent Africa at next year’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“We have had good preparations despite the short time in camp. We have new partnerships in the team but these girls are of the same age group so it has been quite smooth. The communication and coordination are at a good level and I’m happy with what I’ve seen in training. I would like to urge Kenyans to come out and support us in large numbers,” Wanjala told Nation Sport after their last training session at Pride Inn Paradise hotel on Tuesday.

Wavinya, who featured in the 2021 CAVB Continental Cup with Phosca Kasisi as the pair of Agala and Makokha grabbed the ticket to the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is eager to lead from the front, having been named captain.

“I have been playing with Phosca for a long time but I have adjusted well to my new partner. This competition will also give us a chance to gauge ourselves in a game situation and now that I’m the captain I’m well prepared for the challenge,” said Wavinya.

The men’s team coach, Patrick Owino, was equally buoyant, saying his boys are going for gold to send a statement to top African teams ahead of next year’s Continental Cup and African Games.

Kenya Prisons duo of Jairus Bett and Elphas Makuto form the first team, while national team setter Brian Melly and Edward Kibet will offer support.

“The target is not just to be among the top three teams but to emerge winners. We need to make a statement early enough so that when we proceed to the second round our opponents will know we are aiming at the sole ticket to the Paris Olympics,” said Owino with the conviction of a street preacher.

“The pair of Makuto and Bett has had a reasonable time playing together which is a plus to us. The newbies have also shown great potential and they are posing a good challenge to the first team so both teams are up to the task,” he underlined.

Melly warned his teammates against underrating their opponents, saying beach volleyball is “very different” from indoor volleyball, hence hard to predict.

Hosts Kenya will be joined by Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Egypt in the battle for the top three slots at next year’s CAVB Continental Cup and African Games.

By the time of going to press, the format of play had not been determined since the technical meeting was yet to be held.

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