Kenya: Top Teams Arrive for Africa Club Tournament

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

William Njuguna And Dun Okinyo

31 March 2011

Top women’s volleyball clubs started trickling in the country yesterday for the Africa Club Championship starting tomorrow in Nairobi.

First to arrive were Kutlwano of Botswana, followed by St Dennis Olympique of Reunion. Four more clubs were expected last night, including Watersport of Ethiopia, Egypt’s Al Ahli and Cameroon’s Injis and Efoulan. According to Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) secretary general Evans Wasike, the rest of the teams are expected in the country this morning. T

hey include Motema Pembe and La Gracia (DR Congo), Les As (Burundi), DGSP (Congo Brazzaville), Prison Sports (Ethiopia), Nkumba (Uganda), Naceria Club Bejaia (Algeria), Association Sportive, Wilaya Bejaia (Algeria), Jos South Rocks (Nigeria), Rwanda Revenue Authority (Rwanda) and Jeshi Stars (Tanzania).

Kenya Prisons, Kenya Pipeline (KPC) and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) will represent the country in the continental showcase that runs from April 1-9 in Nairobi. “Everything is ready towards staging the event,” said Wasike.

The technical meeting to pool the teams will be held today. “KVF will utilise the Brookhouse School and Nazarene University Gymnasiums to stage the week-long tournament which has attracted a record 19 teams from 11 countries,” said KVF chairman Waithaka Kioni.

Kioni saluted the Brookhouse School management for agreeing to co-host the tournament on a short notice hence saving the country the wrath of Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB). “We are grateful to the management of Brookehouse for accepting our late request to host the event as we look forward to a competitive championship. Brookhouse director John O’Connor said the reason why the management accepted the request was because of the institution’s holistic approach to education. He said the championship will enable their students a chance to experience a high level competition in the institution hence motivate them into taking the sport seriously.

“By watching the tournament, the students will be inspired and that will be a big plus for us,” said O’Oconnor. The institution has also waived the Sh100, 000 per day fee which would have cost KVF Sh1 million for the entire period. The earlier identified venue, Nazarene University gymnasium, does not meet Confederation of Africa Volleyball (CAVB) and Federation of International Volleyball Associations (FIVB) requirements while the Moi International Sports Centre-Kasarani gymnasium failed to meet the expectations of the venue inspectors. The facility is still under renovations and its availability has been scheduled for August. This will be the first time KVF will be staging an international event outside Kasarani.

AllAfrica – All the Time