2007 Women's African Nations Championship:

Kenyan squad start residential training camp at Kasarani



Nairobi, Kenya, September 1, 2007-: Kenya Women's volleyball team started the put the last touches on their preparations to defend their titles in the 2007 Women's African Nations Championship to be held at Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani 5-12 September which will be qualifying for the 2007 FIVB World Cup in Japan.

The team which includes big names like Dorcas Ndasaba, Judith Serenge, Jackline Barasa, Janet Wanja, Asha Makuto and Catherine Wanjiru among others is sprucing up for the competition which will feature all the continental big forces.

According to head coach Sammy Kirongo who also handled the team during the recent All Africa Games in Algeria, the team was set and ready to battle for a ticket to the World Cup which will take place in Japan in November.

“The provisional squad which I have called for residential training camp has all that it takes to win a ticket to represent Africa at the coming World Cup and it is now up to the players to fight for the final slot of 12 in the team,” said Kirongo.

Kirongo welcomed back to the team’s technical bench former national head coach David “Demosh” Lung’aho who will be his deputy along with Abdul Muge who was in the men’s technical bench during the All Africa Games in Algeria and renown Statistician Sammy Mulinge. Paul Gitau and Juma Walukhu who were members of the technical bench in Algeria have been dropped.

“The technical bench which has been constituted by KVF is capable of delivering and I am just appealing for team work between players, KVF and the technical bench,” Kirongo said adding that they were ready for the task ahead.

He said the coming African Cup of Nations – Women will be very tough since North African teams will be going all out to maintain their dominance as was the case during the All Africa Games in Algeria but as hosts Kenya will battle up to the last player.

Among the countries which will be coming to Nairobi with an aim of denying hosts Kenya a ticket to the World Cup are perennial rivals Egypt, the vastly improved Algeria who are camping in Egypt and Cameroon. Egypt, Cameroon and Kenya represented Africa at the last edition of World Championships in Japan.

KVF President Waithaka Kioni said the federation was forced to make changes on the technical bench so as to try out a winning formula and it is up to the coaches and the players to prove themselves to Kenyans and the rest of Africa.

The KVF boss stated that they were on schedule with preparations to host the coming Championships and called on well wishers both individuals and companies to come forward and support the event which is expected to action packed coming in the heels of All Africa Games where teams displayed high standard of volleyball on the continent.

Kenyan squad in residential camp- Rhoda Lyali (Kenya Pipeline), Diana Khisa (Kenya Prisons), Doris Palang’a (Kenya Commercial Bank), Asha Makuto (Kenya Pipeline), Catherine Wanjiru (Kenya Pipeline), Janet Wanja (Kenya Pipeline), Mildred Odwako (Kenya Commercial Bank), Dorcas Ndasaba (Kenya Commercial Bank), Nancy Nyongesa (Dickinson State University), Jackline Barasa (Kenya Commercial Bank), Lydia Maiyo (Kenya Pipeline), Leonidas Kamende (Kenya Pipeline), Mercy Moim (Kenya Prisons), Brackcides Agala (Kenya Prisons), Judith Tarus (Kenya Prisons), Ednah Rotich (Kenya Commercial Bank), Judith Serenge (Kenya Pipeline), Jane Wacu (Kenya Prisons).



Photo Caption

Wanja of Kenya setting



By Jack Kwemba, KVF Press Officer