Malkia Strikers in Ksh7m relegation bill after Argentina loss

Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) faces a hefty bill of at least Ksh7m following the relegation of national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers from Group 2 of the FIVB World Grand Prix on Sunday.

The team will drop to Group 3 after Argentina completed a sixth straight 3-0 loss on the record nine-time African champions who return home on Tuesday morning from Poland.

KVF boss, Waithaka Kioni told Citizen Digital they were not in a position to pay world governing body, FIVB the costs of dropping down from the second-tier of the Grand Prix.

“We made it clear to the FIVB that we don’t have the money to pay and we are hoping they waive the charges. We are discussing with them. Our participation at that level did not give us that exposure.

“The FIVB knows that we don’t have money, they even paid the ticket for us to go to Puerto Rico and they appreciate our situation,” the volleyball boss said.

According to the tournament rules, team’s gain or lose money according to the number of matches won or lost adding to the millions KVF owes FIVB in participation fee arrears.

Malkia were thrashed 3-0 by Argentina as they bowed out of the Group 2 of world Grand Prix 2016 having lost all their matches.

With 18 points scored, Kenya captain Mercy Moim was named the most Impressive player during her team’s final FIVB Group Two preliminary match on Sunday evening in Wloclawek Poland.

Kenya lost the match to Argentina in straight sets of 26-24, 25-22 and 25-17 to end the tournament without a win from six matches played against Argentina (twice), Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Poland and Puerto Rico.

The Argentines could not let the Kenyans afford the luxury of a consolation win as they hammered their opponents to cap off an outing the African Queens will wish they can forget soon.

Head Coach David Lung’aho conceded that his team’s performance has been under-par almost the entire tournament lauding their opponent’s level of play.

“After our matches here we know we have a big homework to do and we will do it when we come back to Kenya,” Lung’aho said after the match.

“In the first two sets we really wanted to win, but we didn’t manage to do it. We are happy with our performance here, we scored many points against Argentina and it is a very good sign,” he added.

Setter Janet Wanja echoed the coach’s words, picking up the positives despite the disappointing run.

“We started pretty well, but Argentina is a very good team. We knew that it wouldn’t be an easy match and what to expect from them. Any game in Wloclawek wasn’t easy for us. We played not bad in reception, we knew how to kill successfully, but the score was as it was,” she said.

Wanja added that they are disappointed with their own underachievement in the tournament saying that they will be looking to strengthen their weaknesses.

“We didn’t win a single set, didn’t show our best, but we will try to walk on with that,” she told Citizen Digital.

Puerto Rico tops the group having won six out of six with 17 points while Canada finished sixth, one point above Kenya who bundle out of the competition without a single point.

Malkia are expected to the country at 6am.