Bitok keen to put Malkia Strikers back on top of Africa

The national women’s volleyball team head coach Paul Bitok is pulling out all the stops to ensure the Malkia Strikers hit top form before leaving for the Africa Nations Championships set to begin on September 10 in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.

The emergence of Cameroon as a continental force has put the brakes on Malkia Strikers’ charge with the Kenyans now just one short of what would be an unprecedented tenth crown.

The Cameroonians have dominated the African scene since 2017, when they defeated Kenya 3-0 in the final to bag their maiden title. That victory was achieved at the West Africans’ Yaoundé backyard.

However, since Bitok took over in August 2019, Kenya has reclaimed her reputation as Africa’s top dog in the sport winning the African Games title, and also returning to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2004- both at the expense of Cameroon.

Bitok is hoping the Tokyo Olympics’ experience will be his latest tool to end Cameroon’s run and reclaim the biennial championship title which Kenya lastly won in 2015 when it was held in Nairobi.

 “Since I took over we’ve met Cameroon thrice and we’ve triumphed in all the three times but this Championship is very different. They’ve defeated us in the last two editions and we will handle them as defending champions and with a lot of respect. Their government has invested well in the team and there shouldn’t be any surprise to their rise in the sport.

“We picked many lessons in Japan last month because we faced world beaters and being the only team from Africa that participated we’ve an advantage over our opponents, and the experience will help us a lot in Rwanda,” he told Citizen Digital.

Bitok, however, said he was not focusing on Cameroon alone, warning all the participating teams are favourites in the ten-day championship.

“It will be dangerous to say we’re preparing to defeat the defending champions. All the teams are ready for the title and so we must prepare to face them all at any stage and not think of Cameroon alone. The hosts are really coming up very well as well as Tunisia who started to prepare for this championship in June,” he added.

Malkia Strikers are currently fine-tuning their skills at the Nyayo Gymnasium and will jet out of the country on September 8 ahead of the 16-team championship serve off.