National volleyball women’s team has never won a match outside Africa despite competing in several international events like Olympics, FIVB World Cup and FIVB World Championships.
The team is destined to make maiden appearance in the 2014 FIVB World Grand Prix and manager David Kilundo is certain that time has come for Kenya to achieve the much sought historic match win.
His assertions came shortly after head coach David Lung’aho named an experienced 12-member team that will do duty for Kenya in the Grand Prix show that starts in Mexico on July 23.
Kilundo said: “Time has come for Kenya to win their first match outside Africa. The players who have been assigned to represent the country are experienced enough to deliver in Grand Prix.”
“Most of the players, especially those ones from Kenya Prisons, have played many international matches and I want to believe that they have gained valuable exposure out of the outings,” he said.
But he added that Prisons participation in four World Club Championships did not offer players enough exposure as it appears on paper.
Kenya are in group three alongside Algeria, Kazakhstan, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Bulgaria and Australia and is the highest ranked country in the group at position 13 in the world and top in Africa.
But Kilundo was categorical that they will not bank on the ranking, but rather play their best game with aim to win.
The manager who also holds the same position at Prisons club said the biggest challenge that has faced the team was lack of international build-up matches.
“Our biggest challenge has been not getting opportunity to play competitive build-up matches ahead of major competitions,” he said.
“But the players are mature enough to take on any opponent in the Grand Prix Championships,” he said.
While naming the traveling team of 12, Lung’aho went for experience as he settled mostly on players who have served the team for long time.
Prisons rising middle blocker Edith Wisa is the only new face in the Grand Prix team.
“The team is a composition of experienced and upcoming players who have shown they are able to play at top level,” Kilundo said with reference to Wisa.
The World Grand Prix 2014, which will be staged from July 25 to August 24, will feature 28 teams for the first time in its history.
The teams are split into three groups, which will culminate in their own finals.
Groups Two (Pools J to O) and three (Pools P to S) will start their preliminary round action on July 25 followed by Group One (Pools A to I) on August 1.
By Oscar Pilipili, The Standard