Muthinja says inadequate facilities hurting Kenyan volleyball

Kenya Prisons head coach Paul Muthinja says lack of indoor facilities is slowing the growth of Kenyan volleyball following yet another dismal CAVB African Club Championship campaign.

Prisons and GSU crashed out of the continental showpiece on Monday night as North Africans reigned supreme again with Al Ahly and El Guish setting up an all-Egyptian final at the capital Cairo.

It means Egypt will produce the championship winner for the ninth time, equaling record champions Tunisia. Algeria and Cameroon are the only other countries that have tasted such glory and are joint third on the all-time winners’ list.

Muthinja maintained Kenya and indeed other countries can bridge that gap if only they invested as heavily on facilities as their North African opponents.

“We lack such facilities so we just train a month or two to the championship and spend the rest of the time doing outdoor training. We have to wake up if we want to conquer Africa,” Muthinja told Citizen Digital.

Kenya’s female representatives at the Games – Pipeline and Prisons – had finished third and fourth respectively last month as hosts Al Ahly beat Tunisians Carthage by straight sets to win their ninth title.

The seasoned tactician however, was full of praise for the new blood in his squad noting that the young faces in the team are the future that could end North Africa’s grip on the competition.

“It was very tough against the Egyptians (Ah Ahly and El Guish ) who are very experienced sides but now I have to bank on young players in the squad if for sure I want my team to do better in future. Despite bowing out, I think reaching the last eight berths was an improvement for the Kenyan teams in this year’s edition,” Muthinja noted.

The 2011 African silver medalists bowed out of the championship after they were edged by Egyptians El Guish in the quarter finals before falling down 3-0 against Ahly Benighazi of Liberia in position 5-8 play offs on Tuesday.

The Wardens will face Aviation of Egypt in their final play off today for the 7-8 positions while GSU who also exited from the medal hunt on Monday will combat Ahly Bzi of Liberia for the 5-6 positions.

The two Kenyan sides are expected to jet back in the country on Saturday morning to concentrate on the local league which served off in Bungoma County 23rd of last month.

Meanwhile, defending champions and hosts Ah Ahly will be looking to increase their title cabinet when they take on fellow countrymen El Guish in the all Egyptian affair finals today 8PM Kenyan time when the curtains will fall on the ten-day event.

The record holders (12) in their en route to the finals edged their compatriots Smouha 3-0 in the last four while El Guish downed Libya’s Swehly by 3-1 sets to sail through to the finals.