Tokyo, May 1, 2006 -- Major changes are expected when Kenya finally names its national women's volleyball team for the World Championships in Japan.
Following a surprise victory by Kenya Commercial Bank over defending champions Kenya Pipeline in the semi-finals of the just concluded African Women's Volleyball Club Championship in Mauritius, the newly crowned champions are expected to supply the bulk of the national team players.
According to Kenya Volleyball Federation President Waithaka Kioni, the national team for the World Championships will be named after three weeks and new faces are expected in the team, whose majority of players are currently drawn from Kenya Pipeline.
Among the new kids on the block are Doris Palang’a and Edna Rotich, both of whom were instrumental in KCB’s victory in Mauritius, where they beat Egypt's Al Ahly in the final to win the continental title for the first time.
Speaking after being feted by the management of KCB, head coach Paul Bitok, who is the assistant national women's team coach, said the time had come for the youthful players from KCB to wear national colours, and the best setting would be the World Championships in Japan.
“Young as they are, my players have proved they are the best in Africa. I am confident that a number of them will find their way into the national team when we finally leave for the World Championships,” Bitok said.
Bitok said the competition in Mauritius was a very good stage for players from both KCB and Pipeline to showcase their form and talent before selection for the national team was made.
While conceding defeat to KCB in the semi-finals, Pipeline and national team head coach David Lung’aho said on arrival in Nairobi that the newly crowned African women's club champions deserved to win the title since they were the better side.
“KCB played well and improved with every game, and it was not surprising they went all the way into the final and defeated pre-match favourites Al Ahly,” Lung’aho said.
He pointed out that national coaches would have a difficult time selecting players for the national team ahead of the World Championships considering the fact that many young players had come up and were ready to prove they could represent their country in Japan.
“Competition for slots in the national team will definitely be tough and in order to excel in Japan we intend to blend both youth and experience in our selection,” said Lung’aho.
Presently the national team has veterans like Dorcas Ndasaba from Telkom Kenya, who withdrew from the tournament in Mauritius, Violet Baraza from KCB, Judy Serenge, Lucy Wanjiru, Mercy Wesutila, Pamela Chemutai, Janet Wanja and Asha Makuto all from Kenya Pipeline.
