Kenya beach volleyball team keen on long route to Commonwealth Games

Brackcides Khadambi

Kenya's Brackcides Khadambi digs the ball in their women's preliminary beach volleyball pool D match against the USA during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Shiokaze Park in Tokyo on July 29, 2021.
 

Photo credit: Yuri Cortez | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The women's team, which is ranked third in Africa and 110th in the world, could qualify for the Games by virtue of FIVB rankings
  • The top five Commonwealth countries in the FIVB rankings as at March 31 will gain direct qualification to the Games
  • The drawing of lots will be conducted Friday morning before the competition serves off in the afternoon


Kenya men's beach volleyball team manager Sammy Mulinge says their focus remains to clinch the sole spot reserved for Africa at the Commonwealth Games qualifiers set to serve off on Friday in Accra, Ghana.

His sentiments come after International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) on Wednesday released the qualifying criteria for the Games.

The women's team, which is ranked third in Africa and 110th in the world, could qualify for the Games by virtue of FIVB rankings.

The top five Commonwealth countries in the FIVB rankings as at March 31 will gain direct qualification to the Games.

Morocco, who occupy the first two positions in Africa will not take part in the Games as they are not members of the Commonwealth.

"The new development will not cloud our mind. And even if it's true that we have direct qualification, we are keen to compete and collect maximum points that will come in handy in future assignments unless we are told otherwise.The two-day training at the Laboma Beach Resort has been good and we are optimistic ahead of the event," said Mulinge, the former women's team coach.

"The rules of the game keeps changing and for this qualifier, we get to field only one pair in each gender unlike during the Olympic qualifiers last year in Morocco where we fielded two pairs,"he added.

The drawing of lots will be conducted Friday morning before the competition serves off in the afternoon.

The women’s team comprises of Brackcides Agala, Gaudencia Makokha, Naomi Too and Veronica Adhiambo.

The technical bench might give starts to Makokha and Agala due to their experience and exposure at the Tokyo Olympics.

Ibrahim Oduori, James Mwaniki, Nicholas Lagat and Donald Mchete form the men's team.

The Gambia men’s team are likely to represent the continent by virtue of being ranked first among Commonwealth countries.

However, it remains to be seen what will happen should other competing nations win the event that ends on March 29 and leapfrog Kenya and Gambia in the FIVB rankings.

South Africa, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Nigeria, Gambia and Ghana are among the teams that will compete in the event.

Others are Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Rwanda, Mozambique and Botswana.