Why Kenya should bid for FIVB U-17 World Championships
Cheptil Boys High School (yellow) from Rift Valley play against Namwela Secondary School from Western in the boys' volleyball final match during National Secondary Schools Term Two Games at the Nakuru High School in Nakuru city on September 9, 2022.
What you need to know:
- What a befitting sign-off it will be for the Brazilian if he brings a FIVB World Championship to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in history.
- But first things first, Africa (read Kenya and perhaps Rwanda) have to dare to dream and express interest in hosting before the December 8 deadline.
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has invited member nations to express interest in hosting the inaugural FIVB Volleyball Girls’ and Boys’ Under-17 World Championships in August next year.
This new competition will be held every two years with a total of 16 teams per gender participating in an eight-day tournament and a total of 56 games live streamed on Volleyball World’s YouTube channel.
The FIVB introduced the competition to provide more opportunities for talented young volleyball players to compete in world-class, international events.
One quota space will be allocated to the host team, while three places will be available per Continental Confederation for teams to qualify via the respective Age Group Continental Championships held in 2023.
Libya will host the boys’ Under-17 Africa Nations Championship from December 10 to 20, while Nigeria will host the girls’ competition from November 30 to December 8.
It’s unfortunate that Kenya will not field teams in these junior competitions despite the rich talent available in schools within that age category.
However, with the FIVB having set December 8 as the deadline for expression of interest, I would strongly encourage Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) to bid to host the global tournament.
Part of the requirements will definitely be at least two state-of-the-art indoor arenas, government support among other logistical factors.
In the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, we already have one quality arena which begs the question, where is the second one?
The Kenya Kwanza government has backed sports in a way that has not been seen before, hence if the right buttons are pressed, it’s possible to have one more arena built in six months’ time.
We have an abundance of training halls in Ulinzi Complex, Kasarani Annex, Absa Sports Club and Kenya Pipeline’s facility which can be swiftly upgraded to meet FIVB standards in case we get the hosting rights.
Hosting this global championship will not only restore Kenya’s reputation as a prime venue of high-level volleyball competitions in sub–Saharan Africa but also boost the country’s sports tourism revenues.
If building an additional indoor arena proves difficult, Kenya could consider a joint bid with Rwanda who already have a world class venue in the Bank of Kigali arena that recently hosted the CAVB Zone V Clubs Championship.
Last year, Poland joined hands with Slovenia and Netherlands to host both the FIVB Men’s and Women’s World Championship to great success.
We are, therefore, not short of options if we really want to host this championship.
An African bid, especially from East Africa, stands a high chance of winning the hosting rights since no country from sub-Saharan Africa has ever hosted an FIVB World championship, junior or senior.
Dr Ary Graca’s 12-year reign as FIVB President comes to an end in 2024.
During his tenure, Africa has always been close to his heart and the impact of his brainchild, the revolutionary Volleyball Empowerment Programme continues to be felt in the continent.
What a befitting sign-off it will be for the Brazilian if he brings a FIVB World Championship to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in history.
But first things first, Africa (read Kenya and perhaps Rwanda) have to dare to dream and express interest in hosting before the December 8 deadline.
Over to you KVF…the clock is ticking. It never hurts to try after all!
