Kenyan coach plots how to beat Costa Rica and Chinese Taipei
09/20/2006
Nairobi, Kenya, September 14, 2006:As training intensifies for the Kenyan women's team, Japanese coach Sadatoshi Sugawara is plotting how to beat Costa Rica and Chinese Taipei in Pool A in order to advance to the second round for the first time in history.
Speaking at the team's training camp at Kenya Pipeline Company's residential estate in Karura through an interpreter early this week, Sugawara said his main target was to ensure that Kenya was among the top four teams in a six-team group which also includes Japan, Korea and Poland.
“Having analysed video tapes of the teams in the group, I am convinced that Kenya can convincingly beat Costa Rica and Chinese Taipei to reach the second round,” Sugawara said, adding that Poland was also one of the teams he was determined to beat.
The veteran volleyball coach, who is being assisted by Kenya Pipeline tactician David “Demosh” Lung’aho and Kenya Commercial Bank's Paul “Mbuzi” Bitok, said training had reached its final stages.
“The players are focused since there are presently 14 in camp and I am set to drop two more next week so I have the final 12 who will travel for the World Championships in Japan,” said Sugawara.
He said when he took over the team from the local coaches immediately after the Four Nations Malta Guinness Tournament, defence, reception, positioning and attack were poor, but things had improved tremendously because all the players were now physically fit.
“I tell you these girls can now play against any top team in the world since, apart from working on areas which were previously wanting, we have gone further and ensured that they are on a controlled diet. This has seen most of them shade off extra fat in their body,” Sugawara said.
Indeed, a look at the various charts on the wall of the gymnasium shows each player’s daily performance graph, amount of fat lost, speed, weight, age and fitness.
“This training camp has been conducted in a professional manner hence the information you are seeing on the wall,” said the veteran Japanese tactician.
Dorcas Ndasaba, who was a member of the team at both the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games, said the training had been tough, but each of the 14 players in camp was determined to make final squad of 12 players, which is set to be named just before they leave for another three weeks training in Japan.
Team captain Lucy Chege said they were set and focused for the task ahead, while both Lung’aho and Bitok said Sugawara’s experience had helped them prepare a strong team whereby selecting the final 12 will be too close to call.
