Underdog tag will help us triumph in Japan- Munala

Malkia Strikers head coach Japheth Munala is targeting at least the knockout stage in the forthcoming World Championship in Japan and believes the underdog tag will help them triumph in the volleyball showpiece.

The nine-time African champions have never posted a win in their last three successive outings in the global extravaganza and Munala is eyeing two preliminary wins to qualify to the next round in the championship which serves off from September 29-October 20.

To achieve this, the Africa’s representatives alongside Cameroon, must finish within the top four positions in their Pool D that has six teams namely Kenya, Brazil, Serbia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Kazakhstan.

“We are set for the championship and the underdog tag will help us triumph in Japan. At least I will only be focusing on the second round and once I achieve that then we can think of winning the title. Kenya is parading a young team and we are not afraid to challenge the giants and carve our own niche,” Munala told Citizen Digital.

In the 24-team championship, Kenya will launch her title quest against Kazakhstan on September 29 before confronting Serbia a day later, and subsequently face Puerto Rico, Brazil and Dominican Republic in other preliminary matches.

Meanwhile, Malkia who are making a return to the championship after eight year absence, will jet out for Japan on Thursday.

The team was initially expected to fly out on Tuesday but according to the Kenya’s volleyball governing body, the team will instead leave the country on Thursday at 7:15pm aboard Ethiopian Airline. The team is scheduled to land in Japan’s capital Tokyo, on Friday at 8:25PM (Kenya time).

Kenya will send a contingent of 19; 14 players and five officials to the Far East country.

On their arrival in Japan ,Malkia are penciled to step up preparations in a 7-day training camp facilitated by Japanese coach Sadatoshi Sugawara to help them  acclimatise to the humid Japan weather, and four friendly matches against local club sides have been lined up before the competition starts.