Kenyans celebrate men’s qualification for All Africa Games

Nairobi, Monday April 4: It was song and dance as the Kenyan national men volleyball team arrived in the country from Sudan where they qualified for the 9th All Africa Games after winning the Zone 5 eliminations.
Activities at the usually busy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) came to a near standstill as top Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) officials, family members, relatives, fans and friends jammed the arrival lounge to meet the triumphant team.
Coach Opolot who led the team back home said winning the Zone 5 ticket with unbeaten record was not easy since all other teams had prepared well but they only emerged the winners because of determination and team work.
“The competition was very stiff and I rate our match against hosts Sudan which we won 3-1 sets as the toughest. We only managed to win because the players operated as one unit,” said the visibly happy coach. Kenya also swept past Uganda and Rwanda.
Players interviewed said they were happy to have won the Zone 5 slot for men after the women team secured automatic qualification after they finished in third position during the last edition of All Africa Games staged in Abuja, Nigeria.
While congratulating the men team for returning to the All Africa Games where they last participated in 1999 in South Africa, Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) President Waithaka Kioni said they were going to give both the men and women teams the required support.
“On my own behalf, on behalf of the KVF National Executive and on behalf of the volleyball family in Kenya, I wish to congratulate our women and men teams for booking slots to be at the All Africa Games in Algeria,” said Kioni adding that they were proud of the performance by the men team in Sudan.
The KVF boss who was visibly happy with the men’s performance said KVF was going to hold a meeting with the All Africa Games Management Committee so that the federation could place its requirements on the table.
“We would like to prepare strong teams for the All Africa Games and that can only be possible when we have support of the Management Committee and we work as a team,” said Kioni who predicted that the men team will improve on their performance at the Pan African games in Algeria.
Former KVF Secretary General Jacob Owiti who is a member of continental volleyball body CAVB Sports Commission and Secretary General of regional volleyball body ECAVCO said he was happy that the men team have qualified for the All Africa Games along with women.
“Before the team played against hosts Sudan in the deciding match, I sent the coach a text message wishing them good luck and urging them to go out and fight in the true Kenyan spirit and I am happy my text message was not in vain,” said Owiti.
Owiti was the Team Manager for both the women and men volleyball teams during the All Africa Games in South Africa. He was also the Team Manger for the women team at 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and World Championships in Germany.

By Jack Kwemba, From Nairobi, Kenya