Malkia undeterred by Japan poor show ahead of Olympics qualifiers

After seeing their dream of earning a second round slot in the ongoing FIVB World Championship in Japan nipped on the bud, national women’s volleyball team Malkia Strikers will now shift their attention to the 2019 FIVB World Cup and 2020 Summer Olympics qualifiers.

The World Cup qualifiers are set for early next year with the global fiesta which will serve as the 2020 Olympics qualifiers set to be held later in September, still in Japan.

Despite starting well by sinking Kazakhstan by 3-0 sets, Malkia went on to lose their subsequent matches against Serbia, Puerto Rico Brazil and Dominican Republic.

Malkia, whose last hope to progress in the ongoing championship crashed in the hands of Dominican Republic who humbled them with three unanswered straight sets, will be in serious contention to fly Africa’s flag as Technical Director David Lung’aho offers.

“It was a good show in Japan despite missing out our second round. The likes of Chepchumba (Sharon) and Kasaya (Leonida) starred in this year’s championship which was their debut major international assignment. We intended to expose them ahead of next year’s Olympics qualifications. This is again we cannot ignore from the championship” told Lung’aho.

The duo headlined five new faces that made the final cut in the Japheth Munala squad that travelled to Japan.
The other three newcomers where libero Agrippina Kundu, KCB’s Christine Siwa and Kenya Prisons Loreen Chebet.
Kenya finished fifth in a six-team pool D, with the first four opponents proceeding to the second round of the event which serves out on October 20.

The squad jetted back to the country on Monday morning from the Far East nation aboard Ethiopian Airline.