Sparkling Malkia steamroll Ethiopia, inch closer to securing Games ticket

The national women volleyball team, Malkia Strikers went one step closer to clinching the Zone Five All African Games sole ticket after steamrolling hapless Ethiopia with straight sets as the qualifiers entered second day on Monday at Lugogo Indoor Arena, Uganda.

The four-time All African Games champions eased past Ethiopia by sets of 25-14, 25-8 and 25-10 in a one-sided encounter with the result leaving the Kenyans on verge of bagging the single ticket that will guarantee them qualification to the continental championship set for Morocco in August.

The nine-time African champions will on Tuesday 8pm confront fast-rising Uganda in their final fixture of the tournament organised in a round-robin format. Uganda who defeated Ethiopia 3-0 in their opening match, were due to Rwanda at the same venue later on Monday.

Head coach Japheth Munala in his reflections praised his charges while also singling out fast-rising left-attacker Sharon Chepchumba who starred in the win against the Ethiopians for praise.

Kenya won 3-0 against Rwanda in their first fixture.

“My players were superb once again and especially Chepchumba who showed her spiking prowess. Uganda now remains our last hurdle and with this performance I’m upbeat we will cruise and clinch the ticket,” he enthused.

Kenya are the All African Games defending champions after defeating their new-found opponents Cameroon by three sets to one in 2015 in Congo, Brazzaville and they will be hunting their fifth title in Morocco if they sail through as Zone V representatives.

Meanwhile, reports from reliable sources have revealed that the contingent left the country without any funding from the government as top ministry officials were unavailable to approve the money needed for the players’ upkeep in Kampala by the time they were departing the country on Saturday morning.

Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed and her Principal Secretary Peter Kaberia were last week out of the were country, with the latter  in Japan while Amina had travelled to Canada for ongoing anti-doping conference.

It is alleged that the contingent has accrued a Sh1 million hotel and logistics bill and are unsure of when the government will clear it.