Beach Volleyball: Kenya out of World Championships

Kenya's Brackcides Agala and Gaudencia Makokha in action

Kenya's Brackcides Agala (right) and Gaudencia Makokha in action during their 2022 Beach Volleyball World Championships Group 'L' match against Italy's Claudia Scampoli and Margherita Blanchin at Foro Italico, in Rome, Italy on June 10, 2022. Kenya lost 2-0.

Photo credit: Pool | FIVB

What you need to know:

  • Kenya coach Patrick Owino said it has been a good experience, but going forward they have to get adequate training prior to any event.
  • “It’s the end of the road for us. It has been a good experience meeting and watching the top flight teams in the sport from all over the world. Lessons learnt and we must invest in good preparations going forward,” offered Owino on phone from Italy.

It’s the end of the road for the Kenyan pair of Brackcides Agala and Gaudencia Makokha at the  
Beach Volleyball World Championships at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy.

The Kenyans lost their last Pool ‘L’ match against Poland's Kinga Wajtasik and Koclolek Katarzyna 2-0 (21-8,21-17) on Monday.

Agala and Makokha, who participated in the delayed Tokyo Olympics last year, had lost their previous matches against the German pair of Karla Berger and Julia Sude 2-0 (21-11,21-13)
and Claudia Scampoli and Margherita Blanchin of Italy 2-0 (21-8,21-9).

Kenya coach Patrick Owino said it has been a good experience, but going forward they have to get adequate training prior to any event.

“It’s the end of the road for us. It has been a good experience meeting and watching the top flight teams in the sport from all over the world. Lessons learnt and we must invest in good preparations going forward,” offered Owino on phone from Italy.

This was the second time Kenya was participating in the World Championships after Makokha and Naomi Too took part in the 2017 edition in Austria.

Meanwhile, the 2022 FIVB Level 1 Coaching Course begun Monday at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

The five-day course is being conducted by course director Almayehu Shoatatek Kassegne from Ethiopia and will be assisted by FIVB instructor Cathrine Mabwi.

The course has attracted 30 participants.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Kenya Volleyball Federation chairman Waithaka Kioni lauded the participants and challenged them to use the expertise they will acquire for the betterment of the sport.

Kioni also took the chance to appeal to government to facilitate Malkia Strikers' two-month High Training Performance in Brazil, as well as their participation in the World Championship in Poland and Netherlands.

Twenty players and two coaches are scheduled to travel to Brazil this Friday, but the government has been non-committal on facilitating their travel.

“It’s a rare opportunity for the players. FIVB have been kind to us and promised to take care of team's accommodation as well as logistics in Brazil. We just need air tickets, players and officials allowances as well as Covid-19 tests fees. It will be unfair of the government not to complete that which they started. They sponsored the team to Rwanda for qualification,” decried Waithaka.