March 21, 2006: The Kenya Volleyball Federation is hiring a Japanese coach to help prepare the national women's team for the 2006 World Championships, which start in Japan on October 31.
According to the federation's newly elected secretary general, Dan Wanyama, the Japanese coach, whose name is yet to be released, is expected to arrive in Kenya two months before the team leaves for Japan. The move has been arranged with the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
"We are taking our participation in the World Championships very seriously, and that is why we are bringing in a tactician from Japan to come and team up with our local coaches in preparing the national women's team," said Wanyama.
He pointed out that the current head coach, David Lung'aho, who also coaches African women's club champions Kenya Pipeline, and his assistant Paul Bitok, who coaches the Kenya Commercial Bank women's team, will work with the Japanese coach to mould a strong Kenyan team to represent the country well at the World Championships.
Regarding team selection, Wanyama said coach Lung'aho had been asked to select a provisional squad of 20 players as soon as possible so that the logistics for a residential training camp and build-up matches could be arranged by the federation.
"The World Championships is a big tournament and we have instructed the coach to ensure that he only goes for the best players while considering experience and youth," said Wanyama, adding that players based in other countries would also be considered for the squad.
Among those playing professionally abroad are national team captain Violet Baraza and Dorcas Ndasaba, both of whom represented their country at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and 2004 Olympics in Athens. Several other players are studying at college in the United States.
It will not be a new experience for Kenya to have a Japanese coach, as Sadatoshi Sugawara was head coach at the Sydney Olympics. Sugawara was a pinch server/pinch receiver in Japan's bronze medal-winning men's team at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, behind the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.
Whoever is selected to coach Kenya this time, the Japanese trainer will have plenty of inside information, as Japan and Kenya will meet in Pool A, along with Korea, Poland, Chinese Taipei and Costa Rica. The group will be based in Tokyo.
