Kenya Names New Look National Women Volleyball Team
The Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) has embarked on grooming a young women national team as it prepares for next year's World Championships in Japan, World Cup in 2007 and 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Apart from a completely new look women national team composed of school girls, the KVF has also replaced Kenya Pipeline and national women team head coach David Lung'aho with Sammy Mulinge and Telkom Kenya and former national team assistant coach Paul Gitau has been recalled.To set the ball rolling, the federation this week dropped top key national team players as it named a provisional 20-member squad which will represent the country during the Eastand Central Africa Volleyball Championships slated for Nairobi on December 9-11.The most hit club is Kenya Pipeline whose players has formed the bulk of the national team since libero Mercy Wesutila, setter Judy Serenge, Lucy Wanjiru, Emilly Chemutai and Lucy Chege have all been shown the door along with Dorcas Ndasaba from Telkom Kenya.Retained in the team which featured for Kenya in the World Championships qualifiers held in Nairobi and the African Cup of Nations which was staged in Abuja are Janet Wanja and Asha Makuto from Kenya Pipeline along with Salome Wanjala from Kenya Commercial Bank.While naming the new look team which reports to camp at Kasarani on November 27, KVF Secretary General Jacob Owiti said they are focusing ahead hence the need to inject young bloodin the team considering the fact that the regional tournament is a good testing ground for the young girls.
The bulk of the new look team are school girls from Lugulu Girls which is the rock bed of volleyball in Kenya alongwith Gathungururu and Tetu Girls.
Apart from naming the national women team which will feature during the regional event which will bring together Uganda, Rwanda, DRC Congo, Zanzibar Tanzania and hosts Kenya, Owiti said the list of the men national team will be released after the Playoffs set for Kasarni on November 11-13.
National women volleyball team provisional squad- Dayana Khisa, Esther Mwombe, Evalyn Makuto, Viola Rotich, Dorcas Chepleting, Loyce Tarus, Evelyn Naserian And Farida Efumbi (Lugulu), Jane Wacuu (Teutu), Eva Mukunya And Grace Gichanga (Gathungururu), Mercy Moim And Monica Chepkorir (Cheptil), Asha Makuto And Janet Wanja (Pipeline), Sarah Chepchumba, Judith Tarus, Salome Wanjala And Doris Muyeko ( K.C.B), Sammy Mulinge ( Head Coach - Pipeline), Paul Kibitok (Assistant Coach – K.C.B), Paul Gitau (Assistant Coach – Telkom), Emilly Mbotela (Team Manager – Mombasa West).
Meanwhile Kenya Pipeline women volleyball team who are the African Club Champions proved their supremacy on the local scene when they won Telkom Kenya Cup which was held in Mombasa City.While Kenya Pipeline reigned supreme in the women category where Telkom Kenya clinched the runners-up position, African Men Club Championships bronze medalists lifted the men title after making mince meat of Kenya Commercial Bank.
By Jack Kwemba, Press Officer - Kenya Volleyball Federation