The national beach volleyball team has ramped up its training regimen at the Pride Inn Hotel in Mombasa, preparing for the 2024 CAVB Continental Cup and the Paris Olympic Games Qualifiers set to take place from June 18-23 in Martil, Morocco. Despite the limited preparation time, Coach Ibrahim Oduor remains optimistic about the team’s chances.
“We have limited time to train, about six days before departure, but we are making the most of it,” Oduor commented. “We are working hard to ensure we achieve our goal of qualifying for the Olympics.”
The team comprises eight players, evenly split between men and women. The women’s team features Olympian Gaudencia Makokha leading alongside Sharleen Sembei from KCB, Yvonne Wavinya from Kenya Prisons, and Naomi Too from Kenya Pipeline. The men’s team includes the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league’s best opposite-hitter, Elphas Makuto, teamed with his Kenya Prisons teammate Jairus Kipkosgei, Edward Kibet from Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and Brian Kelly from the General Service Unit (GSU).
Coach Oduor highlighted the challenge of assembling a specialised beach volleyball team, noting that most players were previously engaged with their clubs in the indoor volleyball playoffs that concluded recently at Kasarani. “Most of our top players were involved in the recently concluded indoor volleyball playoffs at Kasarani. Only Gaudencia (Makokha) was not participating at the club level,” he explained.
Financial constraints also posed significant hurdles, but with sponsorship from homologated volleyball, the team managed to sustain their preparations. “Financial constraints also posed a challenge but with sponsorship from homologated volleyball, we managed to get our preparations going on,” Oduor added.
The team’s current focus is on refining their technical skills and enhancing performance. In Mombasa, they are diligently working on their services and defense, aiming to improve upon their recent performance at the African Games in Accra, Ghana, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Debutants Makuto and Kipkosgei faced a tough challenge against South Africa’s Leo Williams and Danilo Von Ludwiger, losing 2-0 (21-12, 21-16) at Boma Beach. Similarly, Makokha and Wavinya, who entered the competition as silver medallists, succumbed 2-0 (21-12, 21-16) to Egypt’s Marwa Magdi and Doha Tawfik.
Despite these setbacks, the team remains determined. “We are glad to report that the players’ fitness levels are fine. However, mental preparedness is crucial,” Oduor emphasised. “We have urged the players to stay focused. We are focusing on our services and defense.”
As the team continues to train intensively, they hold a steadfast belief in their potential to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. With unwavering determination and rigorous preparation, the Kenyan beach volleyball team is poised to make a significant impact at the upcoming qualifiers in Morocco.
