Thirteen times African champions, Malkia Strikers, have begun their high-performance training in Brazil ahead of the anticipated World Championships scheduled for September 23 to October 15 in Netherlands and Poland.
Malkia Strikers will train in Brazil for two months as they prepare to face some of the best teams in the world. The sixteen-member squad will be trimmed to fourteen after the buildup matches in Serbia.
Speaking before the team’s departure to Brazil, Kenya Volleyball Federation deputy chairperson, Charles Nyaberi, said they are in the process of building a squad for the future.
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“We are in the spirit of building a team for future and continuity and that’s why we have included Magdalene Mwende and Makokha as special players,” Nyaberi told Nation Africa.
Paul Bitok, the Malkia coach, will be assisted by four Brazilian top coaches including Luizomar De Moura to sharpen the skills of the Kenyan queens.
The four coaches were attached to the team by the world volleyball governing body as part of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) empowerment program. After the high-performance training, Malkia will fly to Serbia to play friendly matches with Colombia and the hosts.
Some of the players to watch at the championships include Sharon Chepchumba who recently bagged the most valuable player award at the African club championships, middle blocker Violet Makuto and skipper Mercy Moim.
Newcomers Magdalene Mwende and Belinda Barasa will also be seeking to make a name for themselves in the prestigious event.
Malkia strikers have been grouped in Pool A alongside 2018 runners-up Italy, Belgium, Puerto Rico and African rivals Cameroon. Kenya will open their campaign on September 23 against the host Netherlands before battling Belgium on September 25.
The Paul Bitok-coached side will square it out with current African champions Cameroon on 27 September. Their final match will be away to South American side Puerto Rico on October 1.
Defending champions Serbia have been placed in pool C alongside Germany, Canada, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and the United States. Pool B has South Korea, Turkey, Poland, Dominican Republic and Croatia. Brazil, Japan, Colombia, Czech Republic, Argentina and China will lock horns in pool D.
Volleyball powerhouse Russia was locked out of the championships due to the ongoing invasion of neighbours Ukraine. The top four teams in each pool will qualify for the next round.