L. MathekaOne change made as national beach volleyball sides hit camp
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 07.03.22. | 11:00
Beach volleyball first appeared at the 2018 Games with both men's and women's contests. It is scheduled to be held for the second time at the 2022 Games as Kenya looks to debut.
Preparations for the Commonwealth Games beach volleyball qualifiers begin in earnest on Tuesday 8 March at the New Big Tree Beach Resort in Mombasa.
The qualifiers are scheduled for 24 to 29 March in Accra, Ghana where Kenya will be hoping to qualify both teams to Birmingham in July.
A team of three pairs in each category was named more than a fortnight ago and the tactician, Salome Wanjala who takes over the women's side from Sammy Mulinge and Patrick Owino who heads the men's side had a chance to watch the pairs in action at the third national beach volleyball circuit held on 26 and 27 February.
Kenya's Beach Volleyball duo of Gaudencia Makhoha and Brackcides Khadambi have been ranked 105 in the world in the latest FIVB rankings.
— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) March 5, 2022
The rankings are based on the best 3 results out of the last 4 FIVB recognized tournaments played over the last 365 days.#TheGamePlan pic.twitter.com/13aINbjpFl
Olympians Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Agala headline the women's squad that also has Phoscah Kasisi and Yvonne Wavinya as well as Naomi Too and partner Veronica Adhiambo. The three pairs finished first, second and third respectively in Mombasa.
"We are behind schedule, we should have already named our final team. We will only get two weeks of training before traveling to Ghana tentatively on 22 March. We will hit the ground running. The third circuit gave is a glimpse of what we need to work," said Mulinge who is now serving as the men's team manager.
The men's category is led by experienced duo of Ibrahim Oduor and James Mwaniki who won the third leg of the national beach circuit, despite the latter nursing a shoulder injury.
Kenya 🇰🇪 beach volleyball provisional squad for Commonwealth Games qualifiers ⛱️🏐
— CAVB (@CAVBPress) February 19, 2022
Men
Players: Ibrahim Odour, James Mwaniki, Donald Mchete, Wilfred Kimutai, Elphas Makuto and Jairus Kipkosgei
Coach: Patrick Owino
Kenya Prisons pair of Elphas Makuto and Jairus Kipkosgei make their debut in the national team while Donald Mchete gets a new partner in Nicholas Lagat of General Service Unit (GSU).
"Lagat, who partnered with Cornelius Kiplagat at the third beach volleyball meet in Mombasa, was very impressive and we included him in the provisional squad at the expense of Wilfred Kimutai. The GSU duo reached the final where they faced the experienced Oduor and Mwaniki and Lagat was good, despite the loss," offered Mulinge.
The Kenyan sides will have West Africans as their toughest competition as their usual arch-rivals the North Africans are not part of the Commonwealth countries.
