Get ready for fiercely contested Beach Volleyball Continental Cup
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.
What you need to know:
- KVF have to think outside the box and find a way to send our beach volleyball teams to some future events of 2024 Beach Pro Tour to gain more experience and improve team chemistry.
- If the zonal qualifiers are anything to go by, it won’t be business as usual at next year’s Continental Cup. We definitely have to do things differently to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Last weekend, the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone Two and Zone Six qualifiers for next year’s Beach Volleyball Continental Cup concluded in Dakar and Maputo, respectively.
The two zones will now be represented by three countries each in each gender category as the Road to Paris 2024 Olympics begins to take shape.
Regulars Mozambique, Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde, Angola, South Africa all made the cut from the two zones while newcomers Sierra Leone and Botswana will also feature in the Continental Cup next year.
These countries add to the previous list of qualified countries from Zone 4 and 3 namely Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, DR Congo and Cameroon who will also be vying for the sole slot reserved for Africa at the Paris Olympics.
With Kenya having won a second bid to host the Zone Five qualifiers in December, it’s important that we select teams that are capable of finishing in the top three at the zone to qualify for the Continental cup where the competition promises to be stiffer than the previous edition held in Morocco in 2021.
Zone One and Zone Seven are yet to hold their qualifying tournament but it’s widely expected that Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritius and Seychelles will be among the qualified teams.
It will, therefore, be a tall order for Kenya to retain the slot they earned at the delayed Tokyo Olympics through Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Agala.
Kenya has recalled Naomi Too to the team and she is likely to be partnered with Makokha with whom they enjoy a good understanding on court.
The pair of Yvonne Wavinya and Pamela Masaisai could be a good back-up as Kenya look to capitalize on home advantage.
With the African Games coming up in March, the zonal qualifiers will also be a good platform for Makokha/Too to gel and gauge themselves as they prepare to defend the gold medal they won in Rabat 2019.
Getting as many matches as possible under their belts will be key to securing the ticket to Paris once the Continental Cup is held next year.
Preparations also have to be top notch despite the limited time.
KVF have to think outside the box and find a way to send our beach volleyball teams to some future events of 2024 Beach Pro Tour to gain more experience and improve team chemistry.
If the zonal qualifiers are anything to go by, it won’t be business as usual at next year’s Continental Cup. We definitely have to do things differently to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
