After Amaco triumph, KDF train arsenal on opponents, targets title

After bagging the 2019 Amaco Tournament, Kenya Defence Forces who have made winning the elusive Kenyan Volleyball Federation (KVF) league title their top target.

The Soldiers beat Kenya Prisons 3-2 in a hotly-contested final held on Sunday at the Eldoret Polytechnic to bag the title and Sh200, 000 prize money.

KDF currently leads the league standings on 12 points after three rounds and team captain Joel Sato says they are keen to build on their win to improve on the third-place finish they achieved last season.

“Last season we beat Prisons in the playoffs but we were unlucky as we lost to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) but this time round we are set and ready to lift the title; that is my assurance to our fans who have always offered us a lot of support,” said Sato.

Ulinzi, as they are fondly referred, will however have to overcome 13-time champions and title holders General Service Unit (GSU) who have dominated the league as well as the David Lungáho coached Kenya Prisons who cannot be written off either.

Head coach Pius Birech is also adamant that if they remain focused and keep the fire burning then getting the title is a possibility for the military side.

“We have set our sights on the league this season and we have a great squad which is equal to the task,” said Birech after Sunday’s win.

The soldiers best finish in the league was in 2014 when they finished runners up behind Prisons.

The subsequent KVF rounds will be held in, Taita Taveta, Busia, Narok, Laikipia and Nandi counties in that order.

Meanwhile, Kenya men’s national volleyball team have intensified training at the Kasarani Indoor Arena after head coach Moses Epoloto announced the final Africa Zone Five All African Games qualifiers squad on Sunday ahead of the event set for June 2 to 8 at Kasarani.

The men’s team is eyeing a double for Kenya after their counterparts Malkia Strikers clinched the corresponding women ticket in Uganda last week.

Zone V brings together 12 countries and is the largest in the CAVB region. The countries in the zone include Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya’s long-time rivals Egypt, Tanzania and Sudan.

Others are Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.