Paris Olympics: Can Malkia Strikers finally break win jinx in Paris?

On Monday 29 July 2024, national women’s volleyball team Malkia Strikers will line up against Brazil in the side's opening match at the Paris Olympics. 

The Japheth Munala-coached African champions have their work cut out as they make back-to-back appearances at the Summer Games.

As fate would have it, Malkia, who made their debut at the Games in 2000, before making a return in 2004 and 2021 during the Covid-19-delayed Games have landed a tough group that has two sides they played at the Tokyo Games.

As Munala's charges play Olympic silver medalists Brazil in their opening clash, tougher tests lie in wait even as the African side chases a win, even if in a set. 

On Wednesday 31 July, two-time Olympic bronze medalists Poland, will play Malkia Strikers for the first time at the Summer Games. 

The two sides have previously faced off in the World Grand Prix, World Cup and World Championships, Kenya losing all three matches. The East Africans lost 3-1 to the side at the World Championships way back in 2006. 

In their last group match, Malkia Strikers play two-time Games champions Japan on 3 August, another acid test for Munala's charges. 

In Tokyo, the Kenyan side finished last following defeats to Brazil, bronze medalists Serbia, African Championship, the Dominican Republic, and Japan

Unlike the Tokyo Olympics where there were two groups of six teams, with the best four progressing to the next round, there are three groups of four teams for the Paris Games. The top two qualifiers for the quarters with the next best two finishers completing the last eight places. 

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Kenya qualified for the Olympics for the second straight time after being crowned continental champions at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon last August.

Heading to the crucial African Championship that served as the final qualification window for women's team to the Games, Kenya needed to lift the title to assure themselves of the ticket to Paris. 

The catch, however, was Kenya had lost the last three championship titles to Cameroon in Yaounde, Cairo and Kigali before the 2023 event, hosted by Cameroon themselves. 

The two sides met in a highly anticipated semis clash. Backed by a packed stadium, Cameroon went ahead, taking the first set. 

However, the then Luizomar de Moura-coached Malkia orchestrated a remarkable comeback to win the match 3-1 and set up a final against Egypt whom they dispensed in straight sets to lift Kenya's 10th African Championship title.  

The team's preparations began with a local camp that had the technical bench select a team of 15 for the FIVB Challenger Cup in Manila, Philippines, a precursor to the Paris Olympics. The team was later whittled to 12, currently in Paris for the action. 

In Manila, Malkia Strikers showed resilience, despite losing their quarters final match in straight sets to Puerto Rico. 

Munala's charges camped in Miramas where they played several build up matches before leaving on Monday 22 July for Paris, to join other Team Kenya members already at the Village. 

Will Malkia Strikers finally get a W at the Olympics? Time will tell.