Kenya women’s beach volleyball team yet to hit camp

Kenya Women’s beach volleyball side is yet to begin preparations for the repeat Olympics qualifier which were slated for late March or early April in Nigeria but a definite date is yet to be communicated.

Kenyan teams had forfeited their chances for the Tokyo Games after failing to honor the second round qualifier matches in Banjul, Gambia (men) and Abuja, Nigeria (women) due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions that had been imposed across the board by governments.

FIVB threw out appeals for repeat qualifiers in May 2020 but persistent pleas yielded as the same FIVB sanctioned the staging of women’s duel in Abuja, Nigeria. The Continental Cup has two Olympic slots, one of which the Kenya Women Beach Volleyball Team hope to clinch.

“We are yet to go to camp since there is uncertainty in the hosting of the qualifiers. The African governing body CAVB is likely to give a definite date next week after which the team will assemble. For now, the players have been allowed to train with their respective teams as there is league action happening this weekend on Saturday, 27 February and Sunday, 28 February. Additionally, CAVB are also said to be working on a schedule that will ensure the beach volleyball competition will not clash with that of the Africa Club Championships which is set to play around the same time the qualifiers have been scheduled,” said coach Sammy Mulinge.  

For the first round, Kenya was pooled with Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda in pool six whose matches were played in Dar es Salaam between January 10 and 12, 2020. Rwanda and Kenya advance to the second round.