Cash-strapped Kenya Prisons pull out of African Championships

Kenya will be represented by two teams in the upcoming men’s volleyball African Clubs Championship in Tunisia after Kenya Prisons withdrew from the continental over financial constraints.

That leaves the 2019 league champions General Service Unit and runners up Kenya Ports Authority to fly the Kenyan flag at the event scheduled for April 16 to 28 in Tunis.

The Kenya Prisons Sports chairman David Kilundo said ‘a decision was reached to send only the women’s team, based on the 2019 performance’.

“The organising committee in Prisons decided to have the women team alone represent us in Tunisia. We’ve notified the federation as well as CAVB about our decision but they are yet to officially approve our request to withdraw the men’s team,” said Kilundo.

Prisons men under David Lungáho finished behind, GSU and KPA-who will be making their maiden appearance in the continental scene-while women prisons retained their title in the 2019 season.

However, Lung’aho said they are yet to receive an official statement about the development instead saying they are still training for the annual championship.

“We’re still training for the same championship at Ruiru and we don’t have any information, at least for now, about the withdrawal,” Lung’aho said when he was reached for a comment.

In the women’s championship, which will also be held in Tunis from April 19 to May 1, Kenya will be represented by Prisons, KCB and Kenya Pipeline.

Prisons and KCB will head to Tunisia by virtue of finishing first and second respectively in the 2019 local league, while Pipeline will be out to defend their 2019 bronze medalists